Syndrome
by Erelyn Tsunami
Summary: WARNING: Crummy summary... (A/U) When Trunks's wife dies, he and Goten go after the Dragonballs. But everything's not as they seem, and suddenly the family is pitched into a fight for their lives- and the world.
1. Coming to Town

Syndrome

DISCLAIMER: I do *_not_* own DBZ (Hee hee…. _Yet_… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!

. : : Chapter 1 : Coming to Town: : .

  
  


"Mom, Mom, are the cookies done yet?" A little girl with jet-black hair ran into the kitchen and stopped to stare up at her mother eagerly. Her hair stood on end like Vegeta's, and she had two tufts of bangs hanging at her forehead. She was wearing a long-sleeve black T-shirt and a pair of stretch jeans.

"Almost, Leah," Adrienne said, smiling down at her. Adrienne had medium-length brown hair, and was wearing a white long-sleeve top that stopped at her waist and baggy orange pants that sat on her hips. "Go get your brother."

"He's out playing with Dad," Leah said. "I don't think he'll *_want_* to come in…" She stared up at her mother hopefully. Adrienne laughed.

"Go get him." Leah sighed. Now Jamie would get most of the cookies! He and Dad always ate them all… She walked out of the kitchen, disappointed. This was just great. Leah walked out the door to the backyard where her father and brother were throwing a football around and stood on the top step. Jamie looked exactly like his father, and his grandpa, Goku. He even had the outfit to match! Goten, on the other hand, was wearing a long sleeve green shirt and khaki pants.

"Dad, Jamie! Mom says the cookies-" Jamie dropped the football and he and his father rushed into the house before Leah finished her sentence. "Hey, wait for _me!" She ran in the house after them and followed them to the kitchen. Adrienne was just pulling out the pan of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies._

"Careful, they're hot," she told them. "Give them some time to cool." Goten ignored his wife and picked up the nearest cookie.

"AH!" He dropped it and blew on his red fingers. "They're _hot_!"

"Told you," Adrienne said calmly. Leah snickered.

"You should listen to Mom more, Dad," she said. Goten smiled.

"Good thing _you do, right?" he asked. The doorbell rang _

"I'll get it!!!" Jamie ran off to answer the front door. Goten followed. Before Jamie got to the door, the doorbell rang again. …And again. Ringringringringring!

"Brian, stop," said an adult male voice from the other side of the door. Ringringringringringring! "_Brian!" Ringringringring! "Brian, I said _stop_!" Ringringringringring-"BRIAN ALEXANDER!" The ringing stopped immediately._

"Sorry Dad, didn't hear you," came another voice. Jamie hurriedly opened the door and grinned at the lavender-haired boy standing in the doorway. He was wearing a dark blue Capsule Corp. T-shirt and olive green pants.

"BRIAN!"

"JAMIE!" The two boys hugged. Trunks laughed. He stood just outside the doorway, his hands in his pockets. He was wearing a teal, long-sleeve shirt with khaki pants.

"You two are acting like you haven't seen each other in _years_!"

"But Dad," Brian said, "I haven't seen Jamie for a whole _two days_!"

"_Yeah!" Jamie exclaimed. _

"Well, that *_is* a problem," Trunks said. Goten laughed._

"Come on in, Trunks," he said. "Adrienne just pulled out some cookies."

"_Really?!" Brian exclaimed. He rushed off to the kitchen, with Trunks close behind._

"Daddy, Daddy, wait for me!" A little girl with cropped lavender hair rushed in the front door. She was wearing a red Capsule Corp. T-shirt and white jeans.

"Hey, Rienna," Goten greeted her, smiling.

"Hey, Uncle Goten!" She hugged him as best she could, being so short. "Where'd Daddy go?" Goten nodded toward the kitchen.

"In there. Your aunt just brought out some fresh cookies."

"_Really?! Cool! Let's go get some!"_

"Okay!" She took her uncle's hand and let him lead her into the kitchen. Trunks, Brian, and Jamie were helping themselves to the cookies, Trunks with one in each hand.

"Hey, Rienna, come try these," he said, his mouth full of chocolate chip cookie. "They're _delicious!"_

"You shouldn't talk with your mouth full, Dad," Brian said. Trunks swallowed and grinned.

"You're one to be talking." Goten grabbed a cookie and bit half of it off.

"Hey, these _are good!"_

"I want one, I want one!" Rienna said, jumping up and down.

"I want another!" Jamie yelled.

"Let me have one!" Leah protested.

"Hold on, hold on!" Adrienne exclaimed. "There's plenty for everyone! Right, Goten?" Goten had just snatched two cookies off the sheet and was already in the process of cramming the first into his mouth.

"Wha?" Adrienne sighed.

"Never mind." She handed a cookie to each of the girls.

"Thanks, Mom!" Leah said, taking a big bite out of her cookie.

"Yeah, thanks, Aunt Adrienne!" Brian and Rienna chorused.

"You make the _best cookies, Mommy!" Jamie said, beaming._

"Well, thank you, Jamie!" Adrienne replied. She picked up one of her cookies and took a bite. "Hey, these are better than I expected!"

"Hey Trunks," Goten said, swallowing his last cookie, "where's Chloe?" 

"She had to work a little later than usual tonight," Trunks said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "But she said she'd be here later."

"Hey Brian, you wanna go play in the backyard?" Jamie asked his cousin eagerly.

"Sure!" The two boys ran off to play.

"Hey, wait for me!" Rienna called, running after her brother.

"Me too!" Leah said, also taking off after the boys. Trunks laughed and shook his head.

"Those kids…"

"Trunks, are your parents coming?" Goten asked. Before Trunks could answer, Adrienne gasped.

"I forgot to call Mom!" she exclaimed. Goten laughed.

"That's ok. Where my dad is, yours will be too. Things always seem to turn out that way."

"Yeah," Trunks said with a laugh. "I think Dad's still sore about last time we all got together." Adrienne snickered, and Goten laughed a bit nervously.

"I don't think he took the old worm-in-the-ice trick too well," Adrienne said. Goten rubbed the back of his head and grinned.

"Dad has a cruel sense of humor."

"At least to my dad." The three adults laughed when the doorbell rang. 

"Must be my parents," Goten said. He was walking out the kitchen door when he suddenly jumped back to avoid the small stampede in the hall. Jamie, Brian, Rienna, and Leah had just run by.

"I'll get it!" both boys yelled at the same time.

"But I want to!" Rienna said.

"You always get to answer the door!" Leah complained. Jamie got to the door first and opened it.

"Grandpa!" He jumped into Goku's open arms and laughed.

"Hey, Jamie!" Goku said, grinning his usual grin. "How are you doing?"

"Good!" 

"Hi Jamie!" Chi-Chi said, peering out from behind Goku.

"Hi Grandma!"

"Hi Grandma, Hi Grandpa!" Leah shouted. She hugged her grandmother.

"Hey, Leah!" Goku said.

"Hi Goku!" Brian said. "Come on in!"

"Don't mind if I do!" Goku walked in the door as Trunks' children moved out of the way to make room.

"Hey Dad!" Goten, Trunks, and Adrienne were heading for the front door.

"Hiya, Goten!" Both of them hugged.

"Hi Goku, Hi Chi-Chi," Adrienne said cheerfully.

"Hello, Adrienne!" Chi-Chi hugged her daughter in law.

"Hey Adrienne, we ran into Vegeta and Bulma on the way here," Goku said, looking a bit confused. "I think they were having a bit of car trouble…" Adrienne sighed.

"Again?" Goku nodded.

"You'd think they'd get a new car by now," Trunks said. Goten nodded.

"Kami knows they can afford one."

"Grandpa, Grandpa, come play with us!" Jamie called, tugging on Goku's pants.

"Ok, ok!" Goku grinned as his grandson led him outside.

An hour later, Yamcha, Gohan, Videl, Krillin, and Eighteen had arrived (Marron, Bra and Pan were at their husbands' parents'), but there was no sign of Vegeta or Bulma.

"I wonder if we should go looking for them," Adrienne said.

"Don't know," Goten said, looking out the window for headlights again.

"If they're not here in fifteen minutes I'm going out there," Trunks said.

"Dad?" It was Brian. "Where're Grandma and Grandpa?"

"I don't know, Brian," Trunks said. "They were having a bit of car trouble, and they might be stuck out there. ' Course, knowing my dad, he's probably pouting by the side of the road.' Chi-Chi put her hands on her hips and glared at Goku.

"I *_told* you to pull over and ask if they needed any help, but do you ever listen to me? NO!"_

"Aw Chi-Chi-"

"Don't you "Aw, Chi-Chi" me!"

"But Vegeta wouldn't ever accept help from me anyway!" Goku protested.

"He's right, Mom," Gohan said.

"Which is why we would have asked *_Bulma_*!" Chi-Chi crossed her arms.

"Do you think Grandma's bringing Darrin?" Leah asked. Adrienne shrugged.

"I dunno, Leah. He might come, but he might not."

"Oh…" Darrin was a baby Saiyan Adrienne had found about ten years ago. He was originally part of a project called "The Devil"- a plan to revive the Saiyan race- and had been obsessed with training (and beating up on Vegeta) since he was two. He was extremely attached to Adrienne and her family. "I hope he comes…"

"Me too," Adrienne said.

"Headlights!" Goten exclaimed suddenly. "Oh, wait, never mind, they turned into some other drive."

"That's it, I'm going looking for them," Trunks said.

"I'll go with you," Krillin said.

"Me too," Yamcha and Gohan agreed.

"Maybe you won't have to," Goten said. "Here they come!"

"Really?" Everyone rushed to the window.

"Lemme see!" Brian said, trying to squeeze in among the adults. He finally stood on the back of the couch and climbed onto his father's back.

"You're right, Goten," Eighteen said.

"Good eyes!" Goku said, patting his son on the back.

"But Dad, it _is dark outside…"_

"Yeah, it's kinda hard to miss a pair of headlights!" Brian chimed in. The doorbell rang. "I've got it!" He whipped the door open. "Hi Grandma!" Bulma stepped in the door.

"Hey, Brian!" She hugged her grandson. "You're looking more like your father each day!" Videl laughed.

"Is that possible?" she asked.

"Grandma?"

"Yes, Brian?" Brian paused for a minute.

"…Where's Grandpa?" As if on cue, Vegeta came grumbling up the path.

"Stupid car… Breaking down in the middle of nowhere… Stupid mechanics… I'll teach _them to flirt with my wife…!" He continued muttering as he came up the path._

"Grandpa!" Leah dashed into the room and jumped on Vegeta, almost knocking him down.

"Whoa!" Vegeta caught his balance and smiled at his granddaughter. "You're extra happy to see me!"

"Well Uncle Trunks said you guys had car trouble and that you'd be pouting by the side of the road instead of working on the car so I was _worried_!" she said all in one breath. Vegeta's smile faded and he looked past Leah at Trunks. Trunks laughed a little nervously.

"Hey Brian, why don't we go hook up that new video game I got you?" he asked all of a sudden.

"But I thought you said-"

"NOW." Trunks shot his son a look that gave him goose bumps.

"Ok." Brian ran up the stairs, Trunks following closely.

"We're glad you made it anyway," Chi-Chi said. "Of course if Goku had pulled over-"

"Chi-Chi!" Goku whined.

"So that *_was* you that passed us!" Vegeta exclaimed putting Leah down. "I *_thought_* I recognized that piece of junk!"_

"Junk?!" Goku exclaimed. "I _love that car!"_

"Which is why it's junk," Vegeta said plainly, crossing his arms.

"Now see here, Vegeta-"

"ENOUGH!" Eighteen yelled. Everyone stared at her, and she cleared her throat. "We need to set an example for the *_children_*." She nodded to her left, where Jamie, Rienna, and Leah were peering at them from the couch, mouths open and eyes wide. Goku cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, Vegeta. It wasn't _nice_ of me to yell at you like that," Goku said, glancing over at Jamie. Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"Oh shut it, Kakarott." Goku gasped.

"Why do you have to be such a pain in the _butt_?!" he asked, exasperated.

"I was born that way," Vegeta said with a smirk. Bulma hit him over the head with a book. "Ow!"

"Oh shut up, Vegeta!" she said sternly, putting the book on the table. She looked at Goten and Adrienne. "Sorry if I damaged your book." Goten shrugged.

"That's ok, I never really liked that one anyway."

"So Darrin didn't come?" Leah asked, a bit disappointed. Bulma shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Leah. We tried to talk him into it, but he was intent on training." Vegeta frowned.

"Don't know why I couldn't stay, too…"

"Because you came to 'check on Adrienne'," Bulma reminded him. "And besides, I wouldn't let you." Vegeta frowned even more and glared at her.

"Baka onna…"

"So what took so long?" Gohan asked. Bulma rolled her eyes.

"I'm still not sure," she said. "But we called the mechanics-" She glared at Vegeta. "-who were _going to fix it, but Mr. High-and-Mighty Saiyan _Moron_ over here blasted them!" Vegeta crossed his arms and glared at her._

"I didn't like the way those imbeciles were looking at you. Dirty savages!" Bulma rolled her eyes.

"He was just complimenting my shoes!" Bulma exclaimed.

"At least you know he cares," Chi-Chi suggested with a shrug. Vegeta scoffed and rolled his eyes. About the same time, Brian came sprinting down the stairs, with Trunks following.

"Jamie, Jamie, you have to come see this!" he said. "It's _awesome_!" Trunks smiled, then looked around the room. He spotted Vegeta and turned around to follow the children upstairs, but stopped when-

"TRUNKS." Trunks gulped and turned around to face Vegeta. Vegeta walked over to his son and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "I think we need to have a little talk." Before Trunks could protest, Vegeta had pushed him into the kitchen. Bulma shook her head.

"I don't know how I've put up with his stupidity all these years."

"Frankly, neither have I," Krillin said, staring at the kitchen door.

"What's _that supposed to mean?!"_

"The children!" Eighteen yelled. Yamcha shook his finger at the two of them.

"You should be _ashamed," he said._

"Oh shut up, Yamcha," Krillin, Eighteen, and Bulma said in unison. He frowned and slumped down on the couch, arms crossed. Rienna came into the room, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Where's Daddy?" she asked drowsily. Goku glanced at Chi-Chi, who started to explain.

"He's talking to your grandpa in the kitchen, dear," she said.

"Oh, ok." Rienna headed for the kitchen door.

"But it's a very _private and __adult conversation, and I don't think they'd want to be interrupted!" Goku said quickly._

"Oh." She stopped and stared at the floor for a minute, as if deep in thought. "Aunt Adrienne?"

"Yeah, Ri?"

"When's Mommy gonna be here?"

"I don't know," Adrienne replied. "But your dad said she'd be here a little late. Let's just give her some time, ok?"

"But I wanted her to tuck me in," Ri said.

"Then I will!" Everyone turned around to find a woman with short lavender hair wearing a short, pale blue floral spaghetti-strap dress standing in the foyer, hanging her coat on the coat rack. She had slipped in without anyone noticing.

"Mommy!" Rienna ran and jumped in her arms. Chloe laughed.

"Did you really miss me that much?" Rienna nodded and grinned.

"Yep!" Chloe tapped the tip of her daughter's nose, making her laugh.

"Glad you could make it, Chloe," Bulma said, hugging her with one arm. "C'mon in, we've got cookies and hot chocolate, if you want."

"Thanks, Bulma." After everyone had given his or her round of hugs, Chloe suddenly felt something was missing. "Where's Trunks?" she asked, a bit concerned. The adults all looked at each other. "C'mon, what's going on?"

"Daddy's having a talk with Grandpa in the kitchen!" Rienna said, happy to be of service. Chloe quickly put Rienna down.

"Oh dear." Chloe quickly put Rienna down and walked briskly into the kitchen to save her husband.

"Chloe!" came Trunks' voice.

"Oh, hello, Chloe. How was work?"

"It went well, Vegeta," Chloe said, giving her father-in-law a look. 

"You made good time! We weren't expecting you for another hour!" Trunks said, happy to see his wife.

"I know. Vegeta, may I have my husband, or are you not quite through with him?" Vegeta opened his mouth to say he wasn't near finished, but the look his daughter-in-law gave him told him to keep his mouth shut. There was a long silence.

"Take him," Vegeta said finally.

"Thank you!" Chloe said cheerfully. Vegeta grunted and walked out of the kitchen muttering. Once he was gone, Chloe wrapped her arms around Trunks' neck and kissed his cheek. "What did you do *_this_* time?"

"Nothing serious. Dad always blows things out of proportion." Chloe smiled.

"Were the kids good?" Trunks laughed.

"Ri was, but you know Brian… I had to yell at him just to get him to stop ringing the doorbell! I mean, he claimed he couldn't hear me!" It was Chloe's turn to laugh.

"Just like his father."

"Hey!"

"Mom?" Brian peeked into the kitchen. "Mom!" Chloe kneeled down and he rushed into her open arms.

"Hi Brian!" Chloe kissed his forehead. "Your father tells me you were a bit mischievous today," she said with a smile. Brian grinned back.

"Maybe a little," he said.

"A _little?" Trunks asked, raising an eyebrow at his oldest child._

"Like I said, just like his daddy," Chloe said. Brian beamed.

"If that's supposed to be a joke, it was completely lacking in humor," Trunks said, an offended look on his face.

"But Dad, it's fun to be you!" This made Trunks smile, and he ruffled Brian's hair. 

"C'mon, let's go sit in the living room."

"Ok!" Brian half-skipped out of the kitchen, his parents close behind. 

Everyone was sitting around the fire, enjoying hot chocolate, Christmas cookies, and sharing old Christmas memories in the living room.

"I _still remember the time Gohan got a carrot stuck up his nose," Trunks said with a smirk._

"How did that happen, anyway?" Chi-Chi asked. "I can't remember…"

"He was-" Gohan clapped a hand over his little brother's mouth and stared him down.

"Say another word," he hissed, "and you're DEAD." Goten nodded.

"Oh rats," Trunks whined.

"Did Uncle Gohan really get a carrot stuck up his nose, Mommy?" Jamie asked Adrienne.

"Yeah," she said. "But don't you go trying it," she added. Jamie sighed.

"Oh well…"

"Anyone else got a story?" Krillin asked.

"What about the time Vegeta _actually got coal in his stocking?" Goku said gleefully._

"That was a very cruel joke," Vegeta said, "and had I not had such a rock-solid disposition I probably would have been scarred for life." Goku laughed.

"Sure, Vegeta."

"What did he say?" Brian asked his father, a bit confused. Why did grown-ups always have to use such big words?

"Never mind, Brian," Chloe said, pulling Rienna off the floor and setting her in her own lap.

"Well, it's getting late," Yamcha said, standing up and stretching his arms. "I'd better be getting back to the family."

"Aw, can't you stay?" Rienna whined. Yamcha smiled and messed up her hair. She giggled.

"Sorry, kid, but I promised them I'd be home by ten-thirty." Rienna sighed.

"Ok." She stood up in her mother's lap and gave Yamcha a hug. "Bye Uncle Yamcha."

"Bye Yamcha!" Brian said. "Next time you'll have to come try out my new video game!"

"It's a deal." One by one, everyone said their good-byes and Yamcha grabbed his coat. "Bye, everyone!" he said, waving as he went out the door. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Yamcha!" Chi-Chi called. "Tell your wife I said hi!"

"I will, Chi-Chi!" The door shut behind him.

"We'd better go too, right Krillin?" Krillin was playing cards with Leah on the floor. He looked up at his wife.

"Oh, right. I suppose," he said reluctantly.

"Can't we finish the game?" Leah asked.

"Krillin has to go, Leah," Goten said.

"Ok… Bye Krillin!" She hugged him, and again everyone said their good-byes, and the couple left.

"What now?" Videl asked.

"I think _someone's getting sleepy…" Trunks said, pointing at Brian, who was leaning against his father's chest, eyes half open._

"Am-" Brian yawned. "-not."

"I'm not tired at all!" Rienna said, suddenly popping up from where she had been laying down a moment ago.

"All right, to bed, you two," Chloe said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"But Mom!" her children whined in unison.

"Now." They sighed, stood up, said their goodnights, and trudged upstairs. "And don't forget to brush your teeth!"

"You two should hit the sack, too," Goten said.

"Ok, Dad," Leah said, packing up the cards that were lying on the floor.

"Night Mommy!" Jamie hugged Adrienne. "Night, Daddy!" Jamie said, hugging his father. "Night Grandpa!" Goku hugged him back. "Night Grandpa!" Jamie hugged Vegeta, too. Goten laughed. He hadn't realized before that they were both "Grandpa."

"Night Grandpa! Night Grandma!" Leah was saying her goodnights as well.

"Good night, Leah, Jamie," Bulma said. Both children ran up the stairs.

"Well, I guess we had better get to bed too," Chloe said. "I'm beat!"

"Me too," Trunks said. "See you guys in the morning!" He and Chloe walked out of the room.

"Yeah, see ya!" Goku said with a short wave. Videl sighed and stood.

"I guess I'm going to bed. Coming, Gohan?" Gohan laughed.

"You sound like you're talking to the kids," he said.

"Sometimes I feel like I am," she said with a smirk. She walked out of the room confidently.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, following her.

"We're gonna hit the sack, too, Mom," Adrienne said. "We'll see you in the morning!"

"Alright," Bulma said, "but remember: I'm cooking tomorrow!"

"Alright, alright." Adrienne walked over to Vegeta and kissed his cheek. "Good night, Dad."

"Good night, Adrienne." Goten and Adrienne left the room.

"I guess it's just you and me," Bulma said, looking at her husband.

"So?" Vegeta asked, shrugging. Bulma sighed, annoyed, and began to walk up the stairs.

"You're so impossible! I don't know how I've put up with you all this time!" Vegeta tapped her on the shoulder. "What?"

"The fire's nice and warm," he said with a small smile. "Wanna go sit down for a while?" Bulma smiled.

"I thought you'd never ask."

Ok, what do you think? I know you're thinkin', "CUT THE FILLER CRAP AND GET ON WITH THE STORY ALREADY!" I'll try not to do it again.... ^^; And besides, if DBZ can get away with it, so can I! I mean, what do you think HERCULE is?? LOL! Anyway, thanks for reading, please r/r! ^____^ Arigato!


	2. An Interesting Christmas

Syndrome

DISCLAIMER: I do *_not_* own DBZ (Hee hee…. _Yet_… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!

. : : Chapter 2 : An Interesting Christmas : : .

"Brian, Brian! Wake up!" Jamie shook his older cousin. "C'mon, Brian! It's _Christmas!" Suddenly, Brian sat up in bed._

"Christmas?" He paused while the thought registered in his mind. "IT'S _CHRISTMAS_!" He threw back the covers and rushed to his sister's bed. "Rienna, Rienna, it's Christmas!" Rienna groaned.

"Not now…"

"But don't you want your presents?" Brian asked. Rienna sat up.

"Presents?"

"Yeah! It's Christmas, Ri!"

"Christmas!!!!" Rienna hopped out of bed and rushed out of the room.

"Wait for me!" Brian ran out after her.

"Hold on, I have to wake up Leah!" Jamie told them. "Huh?" Leah's bed was empty. "Hey, where is she?"

"Ha, beat you, Brian!" Rienna stuck out her tongue at her brother.

"Only because you got a head start!" Brian said, crossing his arms.

"But I beat _both of you," someone said._

"Huh?" Rienna and Brian turned around to find Leah standing behind them, her arms crossed.

"Did you really think you could beat me?" Leah asked. "I'm granddaughter of the Speed Demon!" she declared.

"We thought you were still asleep!" Leah shook her head.

"Nope."

"Leah, there you are!" Jamie was heading down the stairs.

"Yep, I'm right here!" she said, grinning.

"She's 'granddaughter of the Speed Demon'," Brian said in a sassy tone.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," someone behind them said. Brian jumped, and all four kids whirled around.

"Merry Christmas, Mommy!" Leah said, giving her mother a hug.

"Merry Christmas to you too!"

"Ooh, ooh, Mommy, merry Christmas!" Jamie said, rushing up to his mother.

"Merry Christmas, Aunt Adrienne!" Brian and Rienna said at the same time.

"Merry Christmas," she answered.

"Mom, Mom, can we open the presents now?" Leah asked.

"Yeah, can we? Huh? Huh???" Jamie pleaded.

"Not right now," Adrienne said.

"Awwww…!" the four children whined.

"You have to wait until everybody wakes up!" Adrienne said.

"But that'll take forever!" Brian said.

"Yeah! Daddy sleeps like a log!" Rienna exclaimed.

"And Grandpa doesn't wake up until he smells FOOD," Jamie said miserably.

"Which is why we're going to make PANCAKES," Adrienne said with a smile.

"PANCAKES?!" all of them exclaimed.

"I wanna help!" Rienna said, jumping up and down.

"Me too!" Leah said.

"Me too, me too!" Jamie exclaimed, waving his arm around.

"And _I'm gonna _eat_ 'em!" Brian said happily. Adrienne laughed._

"Alright, you can all help. But let's not make a mess, okay?"

"OKAY!"

"Jamie, look at this!" Brian was stirring the pancake batter in a big, yellow, plastic pitcher. He pulled the spoon out of the batter and held it over the pitcher, letting the batter drip off into it. "Isn't it _disgusting_?" he asked with a grin. Jamie laughed.

"It looks like yellow _mud!"_

"Brian, quit playing in it and stir the batter!" Adrienne scolded. Brian quickly dropped the spoon back into the pitcher and began to stir.

"Hey Jamie, I wonder how fast I can stir it!" he said suddenly.

"I dunno, Brian…" Jamie said warily. "My mom said not to make a mess…"

"Don't worry about it! I won't spill a drop!" Brian began to stir the batter faster and faster. "What could go wrong?" Suddenly the spoon flew out of his hands and into the sink in front of Adrienne, making her jump backwards.

"Brian Alexander!"

"Uh oh," he said. Brian ran and "hid" under the table. Adrienne walked over to the table and bent over to look at him. Brian backed up against one of the chair legs and shielded his face.

"What's going on?" Trunks walked into the kitchen, still in his pajamas, and rubbed his eyes sleepily. Adrienne stood up, calmly walked over to the sink, picked up the spoon, and with it, pointed to the pitcher, which had been over-turned, the batter spilt all over the counter.

"Brian?" Adrienne nodded. "…Well he had good intentions, I'm sure." Adrienne sighed and threw the spoon back into the sink in frustration. Brian stuck his head through the legs of the chair and looked around for his aunt. Suddenly, someone picked up the chair and grabbed the back of his shirt, making him squeak in surprise. Trunks held his son up so he could look him in the eye.

"Heh," Brian said. "Hi Dad!"

"Brian, I am tired, and I want to go back to bed. I am not in a good mood. Listen to your aunt. Understand?" Brian nodded quickly. Trunks set him down. "I don't want to hear about any more trouble-making from you." Brian nodded again. Trunks yawned. "Good. Well, I'm off to bed."

"But Dad," Rienna said, "if you go back to sleep we'll have to wait even _longer to open our presents!" Trunks smiled._

"Yeah, Trunks," Adrienne said with a grin. "Your kids tell me you sleep like a log." Trunks stared at his sister, his smile gone, then looked at his kids. They both grinned back up at him sheepishly.

"C'mon, Dad, you can help us make pancakes!" Brian said, tugging on his father's sleeve. "That way you can keep an eye on me!" Adrienne raised an eyebrow at Trunks.

"He has a point," she said. Trunks sighed.

"Alright…"

"YAY!" Brian and Rienna cheered. Brian winked at his aunt, and she winked back.

"But let's take it easy, okay?" Trunks asked.

"Okay!"

Bulma awoke to the smell of pancakes cooking. Oh, that was nice. Adrienne was cooking breakfast. Bulma lay back down and closed her eyes. Suddenly, it clicked. Adrienne was cooking!! Bulma wrapped her robe around her body and rushed down the stairs.

"Adrienne!" she yelled, running into the kitchen. "You're cooking! I told you not to cook!" Everyone stopped what they were doing: Adrienne and the girls stopped stirring, Brian stopped running around the table, and Jamie stopped flipping the pancakes. The pancake he had just flipped landed with a splat on the grill. Trunks was sleeping with his head on the table and didn't stir. "I _told you I was going to do all of the cooking today!"_

"Mommy, are you in trouble?" Jamie asked, looking at his mother. Adrienne didn't answer. Bulma smiled at Jamie.

"Why don't you kids go in the other room? This might get ugly," she said.

"Ok." The four children walked out into the living room to see what was on TV.

"Don't hurt her, ok, Grandma?" Jamie asked before leaving.

"Oh, he knows me well…" Bulma walked over to her daughter with a glare. "I told you not to cook today!"

"But Mom, the kids-"

"Oh, blame the _children!" Bulma said sarcastically. "It would work any _other_ time!"_

"But-"

"No buts!" Bulma snatched the spoon Adrienne was holding: "Gimme that!" Bulma took the pitcher and turned her back on her daughter, occasionally looking over her shoulder to make sure Adrienne wasn't trying to take it away from her. Adrienne made a grab for the spoon, but Bulma kept it out of reach. Adrienne sighed.

"Well, if I can't stir the batter, then can I at _least_ flip the pan-"

"No!" Bulma shouted, cutting her off.

"Well what about the-"

"NO!"

"Then how about-"

"NO NO NO!"

"But the-"

"ADRIENNE!" Bulma, finally fed-up with her daughter's pestering ways, threw the spoon into the pitcher angrily and walked over to Adrienne. With a small groan on her part, Bulma picked her up and carried her out of the kitchen over her shoulder.

"What? Mom! Put me down!" Adrienne cried. Bulma burst out of the kitchen and briskly walked over to the couch. "MOM!" Bulma bent over and let Adrienne slide onto the couch over her shoulder. Brian, Jamie, Leah, and Rienna stood behind the couch, peeking over at the scene Bulma was making. They started to laugh.

"Now you sit there and think about what you've done!" Bulma ordered, shaking a finger at her full-grown daughter. Then she turned on her heel and stormed back into the kitchen. Adrienne just stared after her in amazement.

"Mommy, are you in trouble?" Jamie repeated again.

"Is she allowed to *_do* that?" Brian asked, scratching his head._

"I didn't know Grandma was so _strong_…" Rienna said in awe.

"Me either…" Leah whispered.

"Me either," Adrienne said, cocking her head at the kitchen door, which was still swinging on its hinges. Inside the kitchen, Bulma began to calm down and was soon happily finishing the meal when Trunks yawned and sat up, stretching his arms. He looked around the kitchen to find it almost empty.

"Oh, hi, Mom," he said, yawning in-between words. He looked around again. "Where are Adrienne and the kids?" Bulma used the spatula in her right hand to point out the door.

"In there. I banished Adrienne from the kitchen for today."

"What?" Trunks scratched the back of his head. "Why?"

"I told her last night I was going to take care of the cooking," she said matter-of-factly. She turned around and looked at her son. "Say, you weren't helping her, were you?"

"Well, I wasn't at first," Trunks said, "but they woke me up and I came down to see what was going on. That's when the kids talked me into helping, but I guess I fell asleep…" Trunks stared at the table for a minute, then back up at his mother. "Why?"

"I told her she wasn't supposed to _cook_, that's why!" Bulma said, her face turning red. "Doesn't anyone listen to me anymore?!"

"Dad does." Bulma rolled her eyes.

"Sure, your father listens to _me_ all the _time," she said sarcastically._

"Well, Brian begged me to stay, so-" Bulma shot Trunks a look that made him jump.

"You all make me _sick." She walked behind him, pulled his chair away from the table ("Hey! Mom, what are you-") and pulled Trunks to his feet with her free hand. "OUT!"_

"What did I do?!"

"As her accomplice I also ban _you_ from the kitchen!" Bulma declared, giving her son a small push. "Now OUT!"

"But Mom, I-"

"OUT!" Bulma said, throwing the soggy dishrag at him. Trunks squeaked in surprise, ducked, and ran out the door, causing the rag to splat against the wall.

"Oh, hi Dad," Brian said cheerfully. He was trying to crawl over the back of the couch.

"She's after you, too, eh, Trunks?" Adrienne asked glumly.

"Yeah…" Trunks rubbed the back of his neck and looked back to the kitchen door. "I don't even know what I did…"

"Mom always blows things out of proportion."

"Yep." Trunks sat down next to his sister and sighed.

"WHOA!" Brian tumbled into his father's lap. He sat up, shook his head, and grinned at his dad. "Merry Christmas, Dad!" he said. Trunks smiled.

"Merry Christmas."

Soon everyone slowly began to wake up, and the pancakes were almost ready. Gohan rushed down the stairs, the smell of pancakes flaring in his mind.

"Pancakes! I smell pancakes!" Gohan said excitedly. Trunks sighed and pointed to the kitchen without even opening an eye. He had been trying to catch up on some sleep, but every time he started to nod off, someone else came down the stairs.

"Thanks!" Gohan ran into the kitchen.

"Daddy, Daddy, it's snowing!" Rienna said, shaking her father's shoulder. "Come see!" Trunks groaned and opened one eye to look at her.

"Not right now, Ri, Daddy's tired."

"Awww…" Rienna whined. She shuffled back to the window where the other three children were crowded around the pane. "Daddy's tired," she told them.

"I know how to get him up!" Brian declared. He walked over to the couch and shook his father. "Dad, Dad! Get up!" Trunks just groaned and turned over to face the couch back. 

Brian frowned and stood there for a moment, staring at Trunks. Then he got an awful idea. Brian walked around to the back of the couch and peeked over it at his father's face. 

"Hee hee hee…!" With a little bit of grunting and groaning, he finally climbed onto the top. He reached down and began to tickle Trunks' neck. Trunks laughed in his sleep and jerked away. Brian grinned. He tickled his father again. Again, Trunks laughed and shifted out of Brian's reach. Brian scooted across the back and reached down to tickle his father again when he fell onto Trunks' stomach. Trunks opened his eyes and stared at his son. 

"Brian? What are you doing?" Brian just laughed and began to tickle Trunks again. "No! Brian!" Trunks said in-between laughs. "Cut it out!" 

Brian went for his stomach, causing Trunks to laugh harder. 

"No! Brian!! Leave me alone!" Soon, Rienna, Leah, and Jamie left their spot at the window and crowded around the couch to watch. "Brian!" Trunks pleaded. "PLEASE!" He tried to turn away, or to flip Brian off, but Brian hung on and started laughing. This was way too much fun!

"I've gotcha now, Dad!" he said with glee.

"Stop! Please!" Trunks now had tears flowing down his cheeks. "I can't take it anymore!" Trunks flipped on his side in a final attempt to break free and fell off the edge of the couch. "WHOA!" Jamie and the girls squealed and scattered as Trunks hit the floor where they had been standing. Brian was lying on his back on the couch, wide-eyed.

Chloe, who had been standing in the doorway until now, started laughing. She began to clap. "Bravo!" she said. "Excellent performance! Could you do the 'pitiful cries for mercy' part again?"

"Chloe!" Trunks gave her a crooked smile. "H-hi!"

"Hi Mommy!" Rienna said, giving her mother a hug. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you, too!" Chloe said cheerfully. Trunks, using the couch for support, stood up and brushed himself off. "And merry Christmas to _you, you pathetic idiot," she said, walking over to her husband and kissing him gently._

"Ewwww!" Jamie and Brian groaned.

"Mushy stuff!" Brian said. Both of them shielded their eyes in horror. Rienna and Leah laughed at their brothers' antics. Trunks' face went red and he cleared his throat.

"Yes, well…" Trunks searched his mind for a change of subject. "Anyone for pancakes?"

"These are really good, Grandma!" Bulma beamed with pride. 

"Thank you, Brian!" Adrienne cleared her throat. Bulma glared at her daughter. "Your aunt helped." Adrienne grinned.

"You helped too, remember?" she asked her nephew.

"Oh yeah…" Trunks laughed.

"Then we were all banished from the kitchen!" Jamie said. 

"Yeah, since Mom wasn't supposed to be cooking in the first place…" Leah said. Adrienne sweat-dropped.

"Right…" she said quietly.

"But these are good, Sis," Trunks said, finishing his pancakes. "Pass the pancakes, will ya, Gohan?"

"Sure." Just as Gohan was about to pick up the plate of pancakes, Vegeta walked into the room.

"Morning, Vegeta," Bulma said cheerfully.

"Hey…" He was obviously drowsy. He shuffled across the kitchen and stopped at the table. He looked down and stared for a moment. Then it hit him: "Pancakes!"

"His mind never did work well in the mornings," Bulma whispered to Chloe. Vegeta pulled up a chair and sat down next to Leah.

"Morning, Grandpa!" she said, hugging him around his neck.

"Morning, Leah," he said. Vegeta smiled at his granddaughter. "Pass the pancakes, please!" Trunks gasped.

"Dad said please!"

"It's a miracle!" Bulma cried. She got down on her knees and bowed down low. "Thank you!" Everyone laughed- except Vegeta. The grouchy Saiyan merely crossed his arms and glared at his wife, who was laughing as she sat back down in her seat. Her eyes finally met his. "Oh, calm down, Vegeta, I was only joking!" she said, giving him one of those unbelieving looks.

"Yeah, Dad, chill out!" Trunks told him.

"I smell _pancakes!" someone yelled. Adrienne smiled._

"Here comes Goten…" she said.

"About time!" Gohan said. "It normally doesn't take him this long!" Immediately, Goten ran into the kitchen.

"Hi guys!" he said cheerfully. "Are there any left?"

"Sure, Daddy!" Jamie said, holding up the huge plate of pancakes.

"Thanks, Jamie!" Goten said, taking the plate of pancakes from his son and sitting down next to him. "Don't mind if I do!" Trunks and Vegeta gaped at Goten. The nerve! They had asked for the pancakes first!

"I get 'em after Uncle Goten!" Brian said, claiming his own share in the pancakes.

"Now wait just a minute-" Trunks started.

"Hold on, now-" Vegeta said. They both looked at each other and glared. Trunks crossed his arms.

"Well I got up first, and I asked first, so _I_ get them after Brian!" he declared.

"But you've already had some, so I should get them!"

"Thank you, Brian!"

"HUH?" Trunks and Vegeta turned in their seats to find Chloe now had the plate of pancakes.

"Chloe!" Trunks whined.

"Those are mine!" Vegeta groaned.

"Not anymore!" Chloe said. "You two should learn to be patient!" She handed the pancakes to her daughter. "Here you go, Rienna!"

"Thanks Mommy!" Vegeta and Trunks both gaped as Rienna took another pancake… and another… Trunks began to whimper in his seat. Rienna finished piling on the pancakes and passed the plate to her grandfather. "Here ya go, Grandpa! Daddy's already had some, so you can have the last three!"

"Thank you, Ri," Vegeta said in a sweet tone. "You're such a sweet little girl, you know that?" Trunks glared at his father as he took the plate from Rienna and took the last three pancakes. Vegeta set the empty plate in front of Trunks just to rub it in. Trunks' face began to turn red, and he narrowed his eyes. Vegeta stuck his tongue out at him. Bulma slapped her husband in the back of the head, and Chloe did the same.

"Ow!"

"Hey!"

"Stop being so childish!" Bulma said. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves! There are plenty more on the grill!" She stood up and took the plate to fill it back up.

"Boys…" Chloe said. Beside her, Rienna started giggling, and the other children did the same.

"Oh be quiet," Trunks said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "It's not funny…"

"Yeah!" Gohan laughed.

"Actually, it kinda is!" he said.

"Yeah, like the time you got a CARROT STUCK UP YOUR NOSE!" Gohan was silent for a few minutes.

"You just HAVE to keep going on about that, don't you?"

"Of course!" Trunks said, happy to have at least _some_ revenge.

"Well what about One-Eyed Barf?" Goten asked.

"Who's One-Eyed Barf?" Brian asked. Goten opened his mouth to explain, but Trunks stood up, rushed behind his best friend, and clapped his hand over his mouth.

"Aw, Dad…!" Brian said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair to pout. "You always have to spoil everything!"

"One-Eyed Barf is a story for later," Bulma said, sitting back down with a fresh plate of pancakes.

"Yeah," Vegeta said, his mouth full. "Like when I'm not _eating_!"

"Vegeta, chew with your mouth closed," Bulma said calmly.

"Make me, woman," Vegeta replied. So she did: Bulma hit him over the head with a wooden spoon. Vegeta rubbed his sore head and muttered something under his breath.

"You asked for it," Bulma said. Vegeta mumbled something else.

"Well, you did, Dad," Adrienne said.

"Is Leah the only one on my side anymore?" Vegeta asked in desperation.

"I'm on your side! I'm on your side!" Jamie cheered. "I'm on *_everybody's_* side!" Vegeta stared at his grandson.

"Any other takers?" he asked. Adrienne glared at him angrily.

"Dad!" 

"Hey everybody!" Goku walked into the kitchen. "Hey, pancakes!"

"Yeah, and they're all mine!" Brian said, taking the plate.

"Hey, can't we share?" Goku asked, a bit put-down.

"Just kidding!" Brian said, handing him the plate of pancakes. This seemed to cheer him up a lot.

"Thanks, Brian!" Goku began to pile the pancakes onto his plate. Vegeta watched in amazement.

"So, did you sleep well, Goten?" Adrienne asked him. Goten laughed a bit nervously.

"How long had you guys been cooking these before I got up?" he asked.

"About an hour," Bulma said.

"Really?" Goten frowned. "Normally doesn't take me that long…"

"Told ya," Gohan said. 

"_I wasn't asleep this whole time," Goku said. He was still piling on the pancakes. "I was busy _doing_ stuff!" Gohan began to choke on his pancake, and Goten rushed to help his older brother. "Hey, you ok, Gohan?" _

Vegeta watched as Goku forked another pancake. "Are you _quite_ finished or are you going to eat _all_ of the pancakes?" he asked sourly.

"Huh?" Goku looked at his plate. "Oh!" He laughed. "Sorry." Goku handed the plate to Vegeta, who snatched it away from his Saiyan rival defensively.

Gohan finally stopped coughing and Goten sat back down, relieved. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry… I just got these… ideas…." Gohan's face went red. Chloe thought back over his words, trying to figure out what he meant. Suddenly, she burst out laughing. Soon all the adults, excepting Goku, were laughing. Brian, Leah, and Rienna began to laugh because some of the adults (namely their parents) looked so funny when they laughed. Jamie looked at Goku, who was looking back at Jamie.

"I don't get it," they said together. Chi-Chi walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, what's so funny?" This caused everyone (except Goku and Chi-Chi) to laugh even harder, which made the kids (except Jamie) laugh harder. "C'mon, what's so funny!?" Vegeta tipped his chair over backward and continued laughing.

"Grandpa, I really don't get it," Jamie said.

"Neither do I, Jamie. Neither do I." Videl finally made her way to the kitchen.

"What's going on?" she asked. Goku, Jamie, and Chi-Chi shrugged.

"We don't know," Chi-Chi said.

"They won't tell us!" Jamie exclaimed.

"Something Gohan said…" Goku said thoughtfully. He looked at his oldest son, who was pounding the table and laughing uncontrollably. His face started to turn red as he was beginning to run out of breath. Videl rushed to his side.

"Gohan! Gohan, honey, _breathe!" He took a deep breath and his face went back to normal._

"Thanks, Videl," he said, sighing.

"It's what I'm here for!" Slowly, everyone started to calm down. Vegeta was the last to do so.

"Well, now that everyone has gotten a grip," Chi-Chi said, shooting a look at Vegeta, "would someone tell me what's going on?" Vegeta began to snicker.

"Dad was 'doing stuff'!" Gohan declared. He fell to the ground with laughter and Vegeta ran from the room for fear of Bulma throwing something at him. 

"Oh, smart man," Bulma said, shaking her head. Videl rolled her eyes.

"Presents, presents! Time to open presents!" Jamie said, skipping into the living room, with everyone close behind.

"Me first!" Brian ran off after him.

"Hold on, guys," Goten said. "Wait for us!"

"You're too slow!" Brian said with a laugh.

"Brian Alexander-"

"Just kidding, Mom!"

"Better be," Chloe said warningly.

"C'mon, Chloe, he was just joking," Trunks said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "I would too!"

"Just like his father!" Bulma said.

"Would you guys stop? He isn't just like me, and I'll prove it!"

"This I gotta see," Vegeta said. 

"Yeah, me too," Goten agreed. Trunks crossed his arms and began to pout. Chloe laughed.

"You're doing a good job, too," she said sarcastically. "C'mon, let's just open the presents."

"Yeah!" Brian agreed. 

"Ooh! Ooh! Me first!" Jamie stated. 

"This one's mine!" Brian exclaimed, holding up a big red package.

"Hold on, now!" Goten said.

"Let me get my camera!" Bulma cried. She ran up the stairs as best she could to retrieve her precious piece of technology.

"Mom…!" Trunks whined.

"Grandma…!" Brian said at the same time. Both of them looked at each other and laughed.

"So much for proving us wrong," Adrienne said.

"Yep…" Goten and Adrienne hung their heads and sighed. 

"It could be worse," Goku whispered, leaning over their shoulders to get between them. "He could be trying to prove how much unlike his _mother_ he is…"

"Good point."

"Daddy, this one's yours!" Jamie said, bringing a huge package over to his father.

"Really?" Goten took it from his son excitedly, his eyes gleaming.

"Hold on, Goten," Adrienne said, taking the box from him. Goten watched her, open-mouthed.

"But-"

"Mom has to go get her camera first."

"Awww….!"

"Got it!" Bulma appeared at the top of the stairs waving her digital around. She ran down the stairs and suddenly tripped about halfway. "Whoa!" Bulma almost flew down the rest of the stairs and right into Vegeta's open arms. She looked up at him and blushed.

"You shouldn't run around like that," Vegeta said. Bulma nodded and blushed a bit more. "You're getting too old for it," he added with a smirk. Bulma gasped and hit him upside the head angrily. "HEY!" Bulma glared at him fiercely. Vegeta just scoffed ("Fine then.") and dropped her on the floor.

"Ow!" Vegeta walked off into the living room. "Ooooh….! That man!" Bulma shook her fist at her husband's retreating figure. "I'm going to kill you, Vegeta, if it's the last thing I do!"

"Now, Bulma," Goku warned, shaking a finger at her, "it _is_ Christmas."

"Darn right it's Christmas!" Bulma said, standing up and brushing off her dress. "And I'm going to give him a present he'll never _forget_!" She stormed off towards the living room and was almost on top of Vegeta, who was sitting calmly on the couch, when Goku and Gohan rushed over to stop her from doing anything drastic. "Let me go! I'm going to hurt him!"

"We know," father and son said at the same time.

"Goku if you don't let me go this instant I'm going to-"

"Going to what?" Vegeta asked with a superior tone in his voice. "You don't seem to have a free hand."

"Oooh, that does it, Vegeta!" Bulma fought in vain against the two men's strong grip. "Let me go!"

"Come, now, Bulma, we'll get him later," Chi-Chi said, putting her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "When the children aren't around to hear the screams," she added with a devilish grin.

"Do you mean that or are you just trying to bribe me into calming down?"

"Bribe," Vegeta said immediately. Bulma glared at her husband. Suddenly she got an idea. She leaned back against Gohan and Goku ("Hey, Bulma, what are you-") and jumped up, kicking Vegeta a good one right in the middle of his face. Vegeta screamed in agony and covered his face. "MY NOSE!" he cried. "I think you broke my nose!" Bulma smiled.

"Mom!" Trunks jogged over to the couch, wondering what horror had befallen his unfortunate father. 

"I may not have a free hand, but a woman is always strongest in her legs," Bulma said sweetly. "You can let go now, Goku. I feel much better!" Goku and Gohan sighed and let her go. Bulma walked over to an armchair and sat down, picking up a magazine to look through.

"Daddy, is Grandpa's nose broken?" Rienna asked, tugging on her father's pants.

"I'm not sure."

"But why did Grandma break his nose?" Brian asked, cocking his head to the side. Trunks sighed.

"Grandma's just like that, Brian. Always has been, always will be." 

"So Grandma's always beaten Grandpa up when she gets mad?" Rienna asked. Trunks sighed again. 

"Yep, that's my mom for ya…"

"Let me see it, Vegeta," Chi-Chi coaxed. Vegeta shook his head, hand still covering his nose. "Come on, Vegeta, I need to see if it's broken!" Vegeta shook his head again.

"I'm fine, really! Just a bit sore, that's all!"

"Then what was that sickening crunch I heard a minute ago?" Bulma asked, not looking up from her magazine. Vegeta winced and glared at his wife.

"Can I blast her? Please, just this once?!"

"No, Dad," Adrienne said. "C'mon, let us help you."

"Don't want it, don't need it!" Vegeta declared. Meanwhile, Goku had slipped around the back of the couch and was waiting for his wife's signal. She nodded at him, and Goku brought his hands down on Vegeta's wrists and pulled them away from his face. "NO! Kakarott! What do you think you're doing?! Get off of me!"

"Hold him, Goku!" Chi-Chi said, sitting next to Vegeta and turning his head to face her.

"NO! Get off of me! I'm fine!"

"Wow, that's a lot of blood…" Brian said, staring at his grandfather's sullen face.

"Whoa…" Leah stared.

"Mommy!!" Jamie cried, hiding behind his mother's leg. "Make it go away!"

"Vegeta, you're scaring the children," Bulma said.

"Can I help it?! You're the one that broke my nose in the first place!" Vegeta went cross-eyed and stared down at his bloody face. "My poor nose…" he whined.

"Just hold still a second," Chi-Chi warned him. "Tell me if this hurts…" Chi-Chi gently placed her fingers on the tip of his nose and was about to apply a little bit of pressure when Vegeta squealed and jerked away.

"DON'T TOUCH IT!!" he cried, almost in tears.

"Definitely broken." Goku nodded and let go of Vegeta. Immediately, the injured Saiyan covered his nose.

"Come on, Vegeta, I'm a nurse, I'll bandage it up upstairs in the bathroom," Chloe said gently, placing a hand on her father-in-law's shoulder. Vegeta nodded, stood up, and silently followed her out of the room. The whole living room was quiet for a few minutes.

"Wow… I think you really hurt him this time, Mom," Trunks said thoughtfully.

"Oh, I hope so," Bulma said, looking up from her magazine.

"That was just down-right mean," Goku said, putting his hands on his hips and staring at her.

"I hope you're happy," Chi-Chi said. "Just look at the example you've put on for our grandchildren!" Bulma looked at the four kids staring up at her and sighed.

"I suppose you're right. Maybe I should go apologize."

"_Maybe?" Adrienne asked. Bulma threw down the magazine._

"Oh fine! I'll go talk to him!" Bulma stormed out of the room and up the stairs.

"So much for a peaceful Christmas," Videl said.

"Yeah… more like a war…" Gohan said.

"Is Grandpa gonna be ok?" Leah asked her mom anxiously. Adrienne smiled at her daughter.

"Has he ever *_not* been ok?" Goten started to cough. She shot him a dirty look, and he smiled a bit nervously._

"Well…. What about the time he fell off the roof and broke his leg?" Leah asked. Adrienne sweat-dropped.

"Well... he got better, didn't he?"

"Yeah. Guess you're right. Thanks, Mom!" Adrienne nodded.

"Sure."

Chloe was just applying some cleansing fluid to Vegeta's nose when Bulma came trudging into the bathroom. Vegeta glared at her, a few tears in his eyes.

"What do _you want, woman?" he asked sharply._

"I… I came to…" Vegeta stared at her impatiently.

"I'm sorry, Bulma," Chloe said, "but could you leave for a second? I'm not quite-"

"I came to apologize!" Bulma finally said. Vegeta was shocked.

"What?"

"That's right," Bulma said quietly. "I came to apologize…" Chloe looked from Vegeta to Bulma, then back to Vegeta. 

"Maybe I should leave…" She stood up and walked out of the bathroom, but popped her head back in quickly. "And, I'm not trying to be rude, but could you hurry up? I do need to fix that nose…"

"Right," Bulma said. "This'll only take a minute." Chloe nodded and walked into the hall, closing the door behind her.

"I hope Trunks and I never have to go through this," she said to herself, leaning on her side against the wall a little ways away from the bathroom. She smiled. *_No, Trunks isn't that_ stubborn_,* she thought. Chloe sighed. "I wonder how long this is going to take?" Chloe shifted her weight and yawned. Maybe she should go downstairs to play with the kids for a minute or two. She cocked her head and stared at the closed bathroom door. Chloe hated waiting too long for anything. She looked at her watch. It'd only been a minute. She sighed. "Oh well…" Suddenly, Chloe felt something sharp poke the back of her neck. She swatted at what she figured was a bug. "Stupid mosquitoes… I thought they were supposed to die off or go into hiding or something in the winter…"_

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Bulma looked at her husband, then stared at her feet.

"Well? I haven't got all day," Vegeta said. "And this is still bleeding," he added, jabbing a finger at his nose. Bulma nodded and sat down on the edge of the bathtub.

"Vegeta, I'm… I'm sorry," Bulma said finally, looking up at him. "I shouldn't have gotten so mad… After all, it's not the first time you've dropped me." She smiled. Vegeta frowned.

"I suppose you want an apology for that?" Bulma glared at him, but she told herself to calm down.

"It'd be nice."

"Then I'm sorry."

"Do you mean that?" Vegeta stared at his wife in disbelief.

"I said I'm sorry! Can't you take me at my word?" Bulma looked at the ceiling.

"Well…"

"Don't answer that," Vegeta said quickly. Bulma laughed.

"Well, I just wanted to say I'm sorry, that's all…" she said. "I mean, we've put up with each other this long, what's one more Christmas?" Vegeta shrugged.

"One day too many." Bulma frowned. "I'm joking, woman." Bulma gave him a crooked smile.

"Why can't you call me Bulma?"

"Because 'woman' is so much more fun!" Vegeta said with a laugh. "And it makes you so mad." Bulma frowned again. "But you're cute when you're mad." Bulma was stunned.

"I am?"

"Sure." Vegeta crossed his arms and leaned back. "I don't think anyone that didn't think so would be able to stay married to you this long, do you?" Bulma laughed.

"Guess not." Bulma stood up. "Thanks, Vegeta." He shrugged again.

"It's what I'm here for, is it not?" She nodded.

"Ok, time's up!" Chloe said, walking back into the doorway.

"Just leaving," Bulma said with a smile. Vegeta smiled after her. Chloe stared at the odd expression on Vegeta's face.

"Well, I'm glad that's all straightened out!" she said with a smile. "Now let's see about that nose of yours."

Once things were somewhat back to normal, everyone began to excitedly open their Christmas presents. 

"Look, look, Dad! It's that chemistry set I was telling you about!" Brian exclaimed, holding it up for everyone to see. "You know, the one with the commercial where the kids blow up the garage?" Trunks laughed.

"Heh, _yeah…" He glared at Goten. Goten chuckled and scooted a little closer to Adrienne._

"Mommy, Mommy, lookie!" Rienna held up a new basketball. "It's gray and blue, just like I wanted!" Chloe laughed.

"Santa knows everything, remember?" she asked her.

"Yep!"

"MOMMY, MOMMY!" Jamie cried. Adrienne looked down at her son.

"What is it, Jamie?" In response he held up an enormous chocolate teddy bear.

"Sugar….!" he said, grinning. Adrienne and Goten's faces went pale. Both of them looked at Trunks.

"I did *_not* give him that," Trunks said, shaking his head._

"Hey, cool!" Goku said. "Can I have some?"

"NO!" the adults yelled in unison.

"Aw man…"

"Daddy, here's yours!" Leah said, handing him the package Adrienne had taken away a minute ago.

"Thanks, Leah!" He took it from her and began to tear away at the paper eagerly. "What in the-" Goten pulled out the biggest chocolate teddy bear you had ever seen. "…Whoa."

"Yeah…" Trunks said, wide-eyed.

"WHOA!" Jamie exclaimed. "Yours is even bigger than _mine_!" Adrienne's eyes went wide.

"That means more sugar…!"

"Can I have some? Huh, Uncle Goten?" Brian asked eagerly, his eyes shining with anticipation.

"Well, if it's ok with your mo-"

"NO!!" Chloe shrieked. Goten, Trunks, and both of the boys jumped.

"But Mom-"

"Do as your mother says, Brian," Trunks said quickly, horrified at the thought of Brian and a sugar overload.

"Awww…! You guys never let me have any fun!"

"What have I told you about exaggerating?" Chloe asked, scolding her son.

"Uhhhh…" Brian thought for a second.

"Mom, what's 'exaggerating'?" Rienna asked, confused.

"It's… saying things you don't really mean."

"Like lying?" Chloe took a deep breath.

"Well, not really lying," she said. Trunks couldn't take it anymore.

"It's making things sound bigger or more exciting than they really are," he said calmly.

"Exactly!" Chloe said, grinning.

"Oh… Ok." Rienna went back to playing with her new basketball. Trunks grinned at his wife.

"Oh, go eat your stocking!" Chloe said, shooting him a dirty look. Trunks frowned.

"That wasn't very nice," he said, sticking out his bottom lip and pouting.

"Neither was your little 'look what I did' look."

"What 'look what I did' look?!"

"You know what I'm talking about!"

"If I did I wouldn't be so confused!" Bulma and Vegeta began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" both of them asked at the same time. Rienna started to laugh too.

"You sound like Grandma and Grandpa!" she said, pointing at her parents. Trunks and Chloe looked at each other and smiled.

"I wondered why that sounded so familiar," Goku said, scratching his head. Gohan sighed.

"Dad…!"

"I'm sorry, Chloe," Trunks said, taking her hand.

"Me too."

"It's a Kodak moment!" Adrienne cried. "Quick, Mom!" But Bulma was one step ahead of her.

"Mom!" Trunks whined. "Can't we get together just _once_ where you don't snap pictures of every possible embarrassing thing known to mankind?!"

"Sorry, honey, it's a habit."

"Yeah, a bad habit," Vegeta said. Bulma shot a look at her husband. He grinned back. So Bulma snapped a picture. "Hey!"

"There, now I have proof that you _do_ smile!"

"I smile all the time!" Vegeta said, crossing his arms and scowling.

"Like now?"

"Yes!" Vegeta paused. "No! Maybe! I don't know!" Goku started to laugh. "Leave me alone!" Vegeta whined.

"But it's so much fun!" Goku said. He pointed at Vegeta and began to laugh some more. He sat down on the arm of the couch and fell backwards- "Whoa!" – onto Chloe.

"Goku!" Trunks exclaimed. Goku stared up at Chloe and grinned.

"Heheheh… Hi!" Chloe waved back, giving him an awkward smile.

"Get off!" Trunks yelled. He began to push Goku back into a sitting position.

"Hold on a second, I'm trying!" Goku said. He grabbed onto the couch and pulled himself up. "There, that's better!" Vegeta, meanwhile, was laughing his head off. "Oh, what are you laughing at?" Goku asked, offended. He put his hands on his hips and stared at Vegeta, waiting for a response. When he didn't get one, he sighed. Goku turned around. "Heh, sorry about that, Chloe," he said.

"Don't worry about it," Chloe said. "I think it was kinda funny."

"Kinda funny?!" Trunks asked, exasperated. Chloe began to giggle.

"You should have seen your face!" she said, beginning to laugh.

"It was kinda funny, Dad," Brian said. Trunks crossed his arms.

"It was, Trunks," Goten agreed.

"Yeah," Adrienne said, a smirk on her face.

"You look funny when you're mad, Daddy!" Rienna said, pointing at her father and laughing. Trunks' face went red as everyone joined in the laughter.

"It's not that funny," Trunks said quietly. Chloe stifled a giggle.

"You're right, I'm sorry, Hun," she said. "Sit down and open the rest of your presents." Chloe grabbed the back of his pants (Trunks: O_O) and pulled him onto the couch. Trunks just sat there, his cheeks flaring, not daring to look her in the face. "Come on, now." She handed him a small package. "Open it." He nodded and began to rip away the paper. It was a small brown box.

"What the-"

"Just open it." Trunks nodded, obediently opened the box, and stared blankly at its contents.

"What is it, Trunks?" Videl asked. The adults all gathered around the back of the couch and peered over his shoulder. The children tried to push their way to the couch, but with no luck.

"C'mon, I wanna see!" Brian said, jumping up and down.

"Me too!" Leah said.

"…Mistletoe," Trunks said finally.

"Mm hm," Chloe said, nodding. "Guess who from."

"…You… but…" Trunks looked at her. "Why would-" Then it hit him. "Aw, no! Not here! Uh _uh!" Trunks shook his head._

"Oh, why not? You have before!" Trunks' face went red again.

"That's not the point!" Trunks closed the box. "You want it, Goten? You could actually use it."

"HEY!" Goten exclaimed defensively. "That's not at all funny!" Adrienne laughed.

"I'll take it, Trunks!" Videl said, reaching for the box. Gohan grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "Gohan!"

"I want a piece!" Goku said.

"Me too!" Bulma exclaimed.

"No, it's Trunks'," Chloe said, "and I'm gonna get him to use it if it's the last thing I do!"

"Not if I burn it," Trunks said with a grin. Chloe hit him in the head. "Ow!"

"If you won't use it, I will!" Chloe snatched the box away and kissed him before he could react. Trunks, at first surprised and embarrassed, started to struggle, but stopped a few seconds later. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her in.

"Whoo hoo!" Bulma exclaimed, snapping a few pictures. "These'll be even better than the last ones!"

"Go Chloe!" Videl and Chi-Chi cheered.

"Go Trunks!!" Goku yelled happily. Gohan, Goten, and Vegeta winced and began to sneak out of the room in fear that their wives might get ideas.

"What's going on? I can't _seeeeeeee!!" Jamie squealed._

"Come on, Jamie," Goten said, picking up his son and carrying out of the room. "Nothing to see here!"

"Uncle Goten, wait for me!" Brian called, racing after his uncle and cousin.

"Wait, where are we going?" Rienna asked, rushing to catch up.

"Wait for me!" Leah called.

"Well, this has certainly been an interesting Christmas," Bulma said, putting her camera away. "Can't wait 'til next year."

Ok, so I promised no more filler. But it's not ALL filler! Something very important to the story happened *_this chapter_*!!!! The next chapter will be better, I promise! So keep reading, and always be on the lookout for more! ^_^ PS: Please r/r! Thanks a lot! Syndrome couldn't continue without you!


	3. Tragedy

Syndrome

DISCLAIMER: I do *_not_* own DBZ (Hee hee…. _Yet_… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!

. : : Chapter 3 : Tragedy : : .

The day was almost over, and soon Gohan and Videl would be leaving for home.

"Do you have to go?" Jamie whined. Gohan nodded and smiled.

"Afraid so, squirt," he said. "I gotta get back to work!" Videl nodded.

"But don't worry, we'll see you again soon," she said. Jamie smiled.

"Yeah!" Gohan grinned.

"Then we can get together and play around outside, toss a football…" 

"Cool!" Jamie grinned back.

"So we'll see you guys later," Videl said, putting on her coat. Gohan hugged his father and brother.

"Take care, little bro," he said.

"Will do," Goten said, smiling.

"And take good care of Adrienne," Gohan added with a grin. Goten cocked his head.

"I think it might be the other way around…" Everyone soon said their good-byes and the couple left.

"Guess we should all be getting ready for bed soon," Chloe said, after the last glow of their taillights faded.

"But Mom, I don't wanna!" Brian complained. Trunks sighed.

"Not this again…" He wrapped his arms around his son's waist and picked him up, holding him upside-down. Brian giggled and touched his hair, which, to him, was standing on end. "C'mon, to bed with you," Trunks said, carrying him up the stairs.

"Wait for me, Daddy!" Rienna called. "Brian, wait up! Pick me up too!" She ran after her father and brother with her arms held up expectantly.

"Huh?" Trunks stopped and looked down at his daughter. "Oh, okay," he said with a grin. Trunks leaned over as best he could and picked Ri up and also held her upside down. 

"Wheeeee! Look at me!" she squealed as they went off down the hall.

"That girl is so loyal to her father," Chi-Chi said.

"She is," Chloe said, nodding.

"But she looks like her mother," Bulma said. Chloe smiled.

"Thanks, Bulma."

"Well, I'd hate to have her looking like Trunks," Adrienne added. Everyone laughed.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, can you pick _me_ up like that?" Leah asked Vegeta eagerly. He grinned.

"Can I pick you up like that?" Vegeta repeated, as if thinking it over to himself. "I think I _can!"_

"Ooh, ooh! Me too!" Jamie said.

"Your wish is my command," Vegeta said, bowing to his grandchildren (making them giggle) and picking them up as he stood. They both squealed with delight as he flipped them over and hauled them off to bed. 

"Good night, Mommy!" Jamie said, laughing and waving as Vegeta carried Leah and him up the stairs. Adrienne laughed and waved back.

"Night, Jamie! Night Leah!"

"Night everybody!" Leah said, also waving. The threesome disappeared down the upstairs hallway.

"Now why can't Vegeta be that way to me?" Bulma asked.

"Because you're not a seven-year-old," Chi-Chi said.

"Yeah, Bulma," Goku added. "Face it, you're no spring chicken." Bulma clenched her fists and glared at the younger man.

"Yeah, well what's _that supposed to mean, Goku!?" Goku laughed anxiously and scratched his head._

"Well, uh…"

"Are you saying I'm old!?"

"Well, no, I wasn't- I didn't-"

"Oh, Bulma, calm down!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "You're not exactly Miss Teen USA, you know. None of us are!" Bulma unclenched her fists and sighed.

"Suppose you're right…"

"Well, that's that," Vegeta said, walking back down the stairs with his grown son behind him.

"Mission complete," Trunks said, sending a salute in his wife's direction. Chloe nodded.

"Good, because I'm tired, too," she said. "I've had a headache all day, and I think it's getting worse."

"What?" Vegeta asked as he and Trunks stepped off the stairs and into the living room.

"Are you sure?" Trunks asked. He walked up to her and put his hand on her forehead. "You're not sick or something, are you?" 

"I dunno," Chloe admitted. "I hadn't felt anything until this morning." Trunks removed his hand.

"Hm… You're a little warmer than usual."

"Maybe you should go lie down," Goku said.

"Yeah," Chi-Chi agreed.

"Don't worry, I plan on it," Chloe said rather drowsily.

"Why don't you take some medicine or something?" Trunks asked, putting his hand around Chloe's waist and guiding her to the bathroom. He turned around to face them. "Hey Dri, where do you keep your Tylenol?"

"Behind the mirror in the bathroom," Adrienne answered. "You need any help?"

"No, I'm ok," Chloe said, starting up the stairs. "Thanks, anyway."

"If you need anything, just call," Goten said.

"We will, Bro. Thanks," Trunks said, nodding. "Night, guys." Everyone answered with a good-bye and "get well soon" wish. The couple disappeared upstairs.

"I hope she's ok," Bulma said.

"She'll be fine," Chi-Chi said. "She's a nurse, she'd know if something terrible were wrong. It's probably a virus, at the most. I've heard one is going around lately."

"Hm, guess you're right," Bulma said, staring back up at the empty stairs.

"Of course I am!" Chi-Chi declared, trying to lift the group's spirits. "I'm not as dumb as my husband."

"HEY!" Goku exclaimed.

"Joking, Goku, dear," Chi-Chi reassured him, ruffling his hair with a sweet smile.

"No you weren't," he muttered under his breath.

"I think you hurt his feelings, Mom," Goten said.

"Oh, Goku!" Chi-Chi sighed. "I'm sorry, ok?" Goku stared back at her with a hurt expression. "Here, you want a cookie?" Goku face brightened at the thought of food. "Alright, then! I'll go fix you some cookies and milk! C'mon, Goku!"

"Yes ma'am!" Goku answered cheerfully, following his wife into the kitchen.

"Of course _that would work," Bulma said. "The way to a Saiyan's heart is through his stomach."_

"Mom, I want some, too!" Goten whined, chasing his parents.

"Me, too!" Vegeta agreed, also running into the kitchen.

"What'd I tell you?" Bulma asked.

"Goten!" Adrienne groaned. "It's time for bed!"

"Actually, milk and cookies sounds good right about now," her mother replied, thinking it over. Adrienne sighed.

"Yeah, it does…" she said thoughtfully. Both mother and daughter stood there for a moment, deep in thought. "Wait for me!" Adrienne cried suddenly.

"I hope you have enough milk for all of us!" Bulma shouted. Both of them raced into the kitchen to stuff their faces with sweets.

The next morning, Chi-Chi and Bulma walked down the stairs, stretching and yawning and eagerly looking forward to some fresh coffee. Into the kitchen they strolled, when both of them suddenly gasped.

"Goku, have you been down here _all night_?!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. Goku just groaned in response. He and Goten, Vegeta, and Adrienne were lying with his or her head down on the table, empty plates and glasses littering their sleeping space.

"Vegeta, I _told you to slow down!"_

"One cookie too many…." Vegeta groaned in pain.

"Vegeta, I don't feel so good…." Goku whined.

"Not this again…" Vegeta replied.

"Mom, my stomach _really hurts," Goten said, looking up at his mother with sad eyes._

"Well that's what you get for eating too many cookies!" she scolded. "I warned you, but you boys _never listen!"_

"Hey, look, Adrienne still has a cookie left," Goku said, pointing to the cookie on Adrienne's abandoned plate.

"So?" Vegeta asked. Suddenly, Adrienne yawned and sat up, stretching her arms out as far as they would go. She cocked her head and popped her neck, then sighed.

"Morning, guys. Morning, Daddy," she said cheerfully. "Boy, I'm starved! When's breakfast?" The three men at the table groaned. Adrienne looked at them, puzzled. "What's with- oh, _I get it! One too many cookies, eh guys?" Again, the three of them groaned. She grinned. "Well, I feel great, and I only had one less cookie!" The boys groaned even louder._

"We warned them," Bulma said matter-of-factly.

"Yep," Chi-Chi said, nodding.

"Well, since they're going to want to sleep, why don't we go out for breakfast?" Adrienne suggested. "That way we won't need the table."

"Great idea, Adrienne!" Chi-Chi said.

"That's why she's my daughter," Bulma exclaimed proudly. At the end of the table, Vegeta moaned and muttered something under his breath.

"Well, I'll go wake up the kids," Adrienne said. "You think I should wake up Trunks?"

"No need," Bulma said, nodding towards the stairs.

"Hi, everyone," Trunks said. "What's for breakfast?"

"We're going out," Chi-Chi said.

"Really? _Cool!" Trunks replied eagerly. "I'll go get the kids!"_

"What about Chloe?" Adrienne said. At this Trunks frowned.

"She said she wasn't feeling well and was gonna sleep in," he said. "I'm worried."

"Oh, Trunks, she'll be fine," Chi-Chi said. "It's probably just a cold."

"I hope so…"

"Pancakes! Pancakes! Pancakes!" Brian and Jamie were chanting. Chi-Chi, Bulma, Adrienne, Trunks, and the children were at the local IHOP, and had already ordered each individual's meal.

"Brian, hush!" Trunks hissed. "Keep your voice down! They do have to _cook the food, you know!" Brian grinned sheepishly at his father._

"Sorry, Dad." He and Jamie began to whisper their chant instead of yelling it.

"Pancakes! Pancakes! Pancakes!" Trunks sighed and shook his head.

"I remember when you used to do that," Bulma said. Chi-Chi nodded.

"Goten, too."

"It's different when you're the parent, eh, Trunks?" Adrienne said slyly. Trunks smiled.

"A _whole lot different."_

"Daddy, draw me a picture!" Rienna said suddenly, flipping her place mat over, pushing it into her father's table space, and handing a red crayon to Trunks. To this, he smiled a crooked smile.

"A picture? Me?" He looked at the crayon, then back at his daughter. "I dunno…"

"C'mon, Daddy! Draw me a dinosaur! A big red one!" Brian and Jamie stopped their chanting.

"Yeah, Dad, go ahead!" Brian said.

"Well, go on, Trunks," Bulma said.

"Ok, here goes…"

A few minutes later, Trunks' dinosaur was finished. It did somewhat look like a dinosaur, in a remote sort of way. But let's face it, it wasn't exactly the Mona Lisa.

"Finished!" he said, putting down the crayon and holding up his artwork.

"He's funny-looking," Brian said. "Look, his teeth are all crooked!"

"That's what he gets for not brushing his teeth the way he should," Trunks said with a grin.

"But his tail's too short!" Brian said. "That's no dinosaur!"

"What are you talking about?" Trunks said, turning the picture. "See, if you hold it this way…"

"Well _I think it's wonderful!" Rienna said, giving her father a big hug. "Thanks, Daddy!" Trunks hugged her back._

"You're welcome."

"Say, that kinda looks like Deho," Adrienne said, cocking her head to look at the picture. Trunks gasped.

"It _does!"_

"Who's Deho?" Leah asked, finally looking up from her own drawing.

"Deho's my pet dinosaur, remember? The one that likes to ride around in my pocket?"

"You mean the little red one?" Jamie asked. "The one that scares Uncle Trunks?" Trunks sweat-dropped.

"Yeah, that's the one," Adrienne said with a grin.

"Oh, I remember Deho," Bulma said. "He's the one that Trunks and your father thought was a demon, am I right?"

"Yep!" Adrienne said.

"Oh, I remember _him!" Chi-Chi said. "Goku was the only guy that thought he was cute."_

"Another reason I believe he is crazy," Trunks said. "Oh, look, here comes the food!"

"PANCAKES!" Brian shrieked with glee. Trunks sighed and put his hand to his forehead.

"Yes, Brian, pancakes…."

"We're home!" Adrienne called. The group filed through the doorway and hung their coats on the coat rack beside the door. "Goten?"

"Grandpa, we're home!" Leah yelled, her hands cupped over her mouth. Bulma frowned.

"I wonder where everyone-"

"Oh, you're back!" Goku said. "Thank goodness!"

"Goku, what's the matter?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Trunks, you better come, quick!"

"What do you mean?" Trunks asked, jogging up to meet him. "Is Chloe alright?" Goku shook his head.

"She really doesn't look so good," he said solemnly.

"Mommy…?" Rienna asked.

"Dad?" Brian asked, looking at his father questioningly. What was wrong with their mother?

"Just stay with your Aunt Adrienne, I'll be right back," Trunks said. He and Goku quickly ascended the stairs and rushed out of sight.

"Mom, what's wrong with Aunt Chloe?" Leah asked.

"I don't know," Adrienne said, frowning.

"I hope it's not really serious," Chi-Chi said.

"I'm going to go see for myself," Bulma said. "After all, Chloe's not the only person in this family with medical experience."

"I wanna go!" Rienna said worriedly.

"No, you stay here," her grandmother answered.

"But I wanna go with Daddy," she said quietly. Bulma kneeled next to her granddaughter and put a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Listen, Rienna, this is very important. I'm sorry you can't come, but you be a big girl and wait here, ok?" Rienna nodded. Bulma smiled. "Good girl." Bulma stood up and walked up the stairs. She followed the hallway to the room nearest the end and quietly opened the door. Goku, Goten, Trunks, and Vegeta looked up to see who had entered the room.

"Oh, Mom…" Trunks said quietly. Goten walked to the door.

"I'm gonna go… check on Adrienne," he said softly. Bulma nodded, and he left. She walked over to where her son was kneeling on the floor, his hand holding Chloe's. He looked quite shaken up.

"How is she?" Bulma asked, also kneeling by the bed. Chloe was pale and shaking as if from a fever. Sweat poured down her pained face, and, her eyes closed, was gasping for breath. Bulma put her hand gently to her daughter-in-law's forehead, but immediately jerked away. "She's burning up!"

"We know," Vegeta said solemnly.

"Well, she needs to be at the hospital, not lying around here in bed!" Bulma exclaimed. She stood up and walked over to the bedside table where an old telephone sat idle. "I'll call for an ambul- Huh?" Trunks had placed his hand on his mother's and was staring up at her, tears in his eyes. He shook his head. "But Trunks-"

"By the time they got here, it'd be over…" he said, almost inaudibly. 

"Trunks, you're talking nonsense," Bulma said. Goku shook his head.

"I can feel all the life pouring out of her," he said.

"She won't last much longer," Vegeta said, walking over to his wife. She gasped and put her hand over her mouth. Vegeta wrapped his arms around her and held her as she quietly began to cry. Trunks stared at his wife, feeble and frail with illness, and tears filled his bright blue eyes. They began to stream down his cheeks as he wept silently. Suddenly, Bulma looked up at Goku.

"Goku," she said quietly, "would you mind getting Rienna and Brian? They need to know."

"All of them need to know," Vegeta added. Goku nodded.

"Sure." He quietly walked out of the room to fetch the small group downstairs. A few moments later, Goten and the others walked into the room.

"Daddy!" Rienna cried, both she and her brother rushing into their father's arms.

"Dad, Mom's not dying, is she?" Brian asked. "This is just a big trick, right?" Trunks looked down at his two children, not sure what to say. His cheeks were tear-stained, and his cheeks and nose were red. That seemed to be enough of an answer for the two of them. Rienna burst into tears and buried her face in her father's shoulder, her arms wrapped as tightly around him as she could manage. Brian's eyes began to overflow with tears. He stomped his foot. "NO! You're lying!" Trunks started to weep, and he put his arms around his son and daughter and began to rock them.

"This can't be happening… it isn't happening…" Brian sobbed.

"It's not fair!" Rienna cried. Leah and Jamie held onto their parents with all their strength, almost afraid that maybe they would be next. Goten bent over and picked both of them up, and everyone seemed to fade into the silence broken only by the sound of crying. Slowly, Chloe's shivers began to subside and her breaths became less frequent. Rienna stood up and everyone watched as she walked to her mother's side. She leaned over and whispered: "Mommy… I love you…" That broke Trunks' heart. He was losing his wife, but the children were losing a mother. He could only imagine how they must feel.

"How am I gonna do this without you…?" he whispered. A few more minutes passed and Chloe's breathing slowed to a stop.

"Mom?" Brian asked, standing up suddenly and rushing to her side. "Mom, c'mon, wake up!" Bulma burst into tears, and Vegeta escorted her from the room. Chi-Chi and Goku stood silently, arms around each other. Goten sniffed and wiped his eyes.

"Maybe we should leave," he said faintly. Adrienne nodded, and both of them carried their saddened children out of the room. Goku walked over to the bed and picked up the two lavender-headed kids.

"No! I wanna stay with Mommy!" Rienna cried.

"Put me down!" Brian protested. Goku fought back tears and followed his wife out of the room. Trunks pulled his knees up to his chest, crossed his arms, and leaned against his arms while he cried his eyes out. He felt so helpless.

"What do I do now?" he asked his wife, knowing all too well she wouldn't answer. "What can I do? You were everything to me, but now you're…" Trunks couldn't bring himself to admit she was gone. There had to be something he could do. Some way to bring her back…. Of course! Suddenly, it dawned on him. Why hadn't he thought of it before? He could use the Dragonballs! Trunks almost laughed at his stupidity and stood up. He faintly smiled at Chloe as he bent over and kissed her warm lips. "I'll be back," he said quietly.

Told ya this one would be better. *grin* It's MUCH better. Well, wouldn't you say? Heheh... The story is MOVING now! Heh. 'Bout time. *sigh* Ah well. The story's gonna pick up REALLY soon. ...I can tell this is going to be a short story. *sigh* Oh well, better short than no story at all, right? .....RIGHT?!


	4. Aaron Strikes Again

Syndrome

DISCLAIMER: I do *_not_* own DBZ (Hee hee…. _Yet_… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!

. : : Chapter 4  : Aaron Strikes Again : : .

Everyone was gathered in the living room, sobbing, when Trunks walked down the stairs to tell them his plan. "Daddy!" Rienna cried. She rushed over to her father and held onto him with all her might. It made his heart ache to see everyone so hurt; and it wasn't like he wasn't hurting on the inside, either, because he was- but he knew something they hadn't thought of. Something that could change the bleak future into something that would make their hearts sing. He kneeled down, hugged Rienna back and almost smiled.

"Hey, it's ok," he told her.

"What do you mean, it's ok?" Bulma asked. Suddenly, she realized something: that people often loose their minds over a lost loved one. Her face went even paler than it already was. "Trunks, are you feeling alright?"

"Of course," he said, standing up. "I'm down, not out."

"Trunks, what are you-" Adrienne started.

"I've got a plan," Trunks said, interrupting his sister.

"What do you mean, Trunks?" Vegeta asked.

"Can you bring Mom back?" Brian asked. Trunks sniffed and smiled.

"You know, you take after me more than you know." Brian blushed and looked at his feet.

"Of course! The Dragonballs!" Goku exclaimed. 

"Why didn't any of us think of that?" Goten wondered.

"It doesn't matter," Trunks said, shaking his head. "I just need to find them."

"Great, I'll go with you," Goten said. Trunks nodded. 

"Thanks, Goten." Goten smiled.

"Anything for my best bro."

"I want to come, too!" Brian and Rienna exclaimed at the same time. Trunks smiled sympathetically and shook his head.

"You two need to stay here," he said.

"But Dad-"

"No buts."

"But you can't leave!" Ri cried. She hugged her father's legs. "Not you too!"

"Oh, Ri, hey…" Trunks kneeled and looked her in the eyes. "I'm not gonna ever leave, okay? And I'm going to bring Mom back, don't you worry." Rienna stared deep into her father's eyes.

"You mean it?" Trunks smiled.

"You betcha. Tell you what," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ring with a brilliant light blue gem in the center of it. "I was going to give it to your mom for her birthday next week, but you can have it."

"Really?" Trunks put the ring in her hand and closed his own around hers.

"Sure. If I'm ever gone, you just look at that ring and remember that I'll always come back, okay?" Rienna smiled and nodded.

"Yeah… Thanks, Daddy," she said, giving him another hug.

"Anytime, Ri." He stood up and headed for the door.

"Be careful, you two," Chi-Chi called as both Trunks and Goten put on their coats.

"We will, Mom," Goten said. "Jamie, you and Leah be good for Mommy, alright?"

"K, Daddy!" he said, waving.

"We have to go pick up the radar first, Goten," Trunks said, "but then we can hit the road."

"Right," Goten said, nodding.

"We're going to head for Capsule after we clean up a bit here," Adrienne said. "I wish I could come with you." Goten walked over to his wife and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine," he said. "Take care of Mom for me, okay, guys?"

"Sure, Dad!" Leah said. "We're going to Grandpa's!" Vegeta laughed.

"Of course we are," he said, picking her up. "And when we get there, we'll have loads of fun!"

"Sure we will!" Goku added.

"We'll see you later, then," Trunks said wistfully. "Be good!"

"We will, Dad!" Brian said with a grin.

"Oh, how very reassuring," Trunks muttered with a smile. Goten laughed.

"I know what you mean."

"Bye, Daddy!" Rienna yelled.

"Good luck, Trunks!" called Bulma.

"Thanks, Mom! Bye, everyone!"

"Bye, Dad!" Leah and Brian shouted at the same time.

"Good bye!" Goten turned and walked out the door. Trunks turned to follow, but stopped and turned around for one last glance at the room where his wife lay.

"Good bye, Chloe." Trunks wiped a tear from his eye and left the house.

"You okay?" Goten asked.

"Yeah," Trunks said, smiling. "Just fine." Together, the two walked off down the driveway. "Hey, Goten," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"I'll race ya!"

"You're on!"

"In here, Vegeta," Bulma said, guiding her husband into one of the labs at Capsule Corporation. "This way." She walked into the dark room and began to feel around for a light switch. Why did these laboratories have to be windowless? It was so dark… "Ah _ha!" Bulma finally found the switch and flipped it on. "Now where is that machine…?"_

"Well, hurry, woman, I haven't got all day!" Vegeta snarled. He was holding a very limp Chloe Briefs in his arms.

"Don't get your spandex all bunched up, Vegeta! Just calm down and be patient! Remember, we're doing this for Trunks!" Bulma snapped. "Now I know it's in here somewhere…"

"Grandma, is this it?" Brian asked, pulling the cover off a long, elliptical device. Bulma turned to see what he was talking about. When she saw that he had found the very thing she was looking for, Bulma began to praise her grandson.

"That's the one! Good eyes, Brian!" she said.

"Told ya," Rienna said, crossing her arms. Brian stuck his tongue out at his sister, and she did the same.

"C'mon, you two, none of that!" she scolded. "Over here, Vegeta!" She led him to a machine Vegeta had never seen before. It was shaped like an egg that had been stretched out, and was made of a silver-colored metal, excepting the glass cover over the top. Bulma pressed a large rectangular button near the end of the glass and the lid popped open with a loud hissing noise.

"About time," he said. Vegeta gently lowered his daughter-in-law's body into the machine.

"Careful, Vegeta! Watch her head!" The discontented Saiyan grumbled something under his breath and laid Chloe in the machine. Bulma closed the lid and pressed a code into the control panel on the side.

"So, Bulma, what exactly does this thing do?" Chi-Chi asked curiously.

"Well, Chi-Chi," Bulma said with a smile, "I'm glad you asked. You see, my father invented this machine to preserve things- people, plants, animals, etc.- in a state similar to being cryogenically frozen."

"Oh, I see," Chi-Chi said. "You're going to preserve her until Trunks and Goten return."

"Exactly."

"Not a bad idea, actually," Vegeta said.

"Vegeta, was that a compliment?" Bulma asked in shock. Her husband's eyes went wide, and he quickly crossed his arms and glared.

"No," he said promptly.

"Oh, well thanks anyway," Bulma said. "I guess I'll just have to eat all of those cookies by myself," she added. She gave him a tantalizing glance and ran her index finger up his neck as she walked out of the room, sending chills up his spine. Vegeta stared after her. He hadn't been paying much attention to the words coming out of her mouth, and the full meaning of them hadn't quite sunk in yet.

"C'mon, Ri, cookies!" Brian said, taking his sister by the hand and running out of the room with her. Both of them left the lab laughing.

"C'mon, Vegeta, or we'll leave you behind," Chi-Chi said. He shook his head and snapped back into reality.

"Right!"

"Cookies, cookies! Oatmeal cookies!" Jamie chanted, dancing around the kitchen when the rest of the group joined them. "Hi, guys! We're making cookies!"

"I can see that," Bulma said.

"Goku," Adrienne said, "is that batter mixed yet? I'm ready to make the second batch."

"Yep, just finished!" he said cheerfully. Goku had flour all over his face, but he didn't care. …Or didn't know. He took out his spoon and laid it in the sink. Then he wiped his forehead with his arm. "Whew! Even for a Saiyan, that's hard work!"

"I asked if you needed help," Jamie said.

"I know. Maybe next time I'll know better," Goku added with a wink to Chi-Chi.

"Ok!"

"Well, the first batch is done, and the second's cooking," Adrienne said, closing the oven. "And be careful, they're hot."

"Ok, Mommy!" Jamie said. "Sure, Mom!" Leah said at the same time.

"Ok, Aunt Adrienne," Brian said. "See, we listen to you. Unlike Uncle Goten…" Adrienne sweat-dropped.

"Brian, that wasn't nice!" Bulma scolded. Brian hung his head.

"Sorry…"

"That's ok," Adrienne said. "Go ahead, have a cookie."

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Brian said happily. He climbed into one of the chairs and snatched a cookie off the sheet.

"Grandma, can I take mine upstairs?" Rienna asked. Bulma looked at her curiously.

"Well, of course, but why, Ri?"

"I wanna wait for Daddy," she said simply.

"Oh, Ri," Adrienne said, kneeling to look her niece in the eyes. "Daddy won't be back for at _least_ a couple of hours." Rienna began to finger the ring she had had in her hand since they'd left Adrienne's house.

"I know…" she said quietly.

"Why don't you come play with us, Ri?" Brian asked, his mouth full of oatmeal cookie.

"Yeah," Leah said, "it'll help to pass the time."

"I guess so…"

"And we can use your new basketball!" Jamie said happily. This idea seemed to cheer Rienna up quite a bit.

"Yeah! Oh," she said suddenly, "but what do I do with this?" Rienna held up the ring Trunks had given her.

"Tell you what," Bulma said. "Why don't I hold onto it while you go play, and I can give it back to you when you're done."

"Okay!" Rienna said. "I can't wear it anyway. It's too big!"

"I'll bet we can fix that," Vegeta said with a wink.

"C'mon, let's go play!" Brian said, running out of the kitchen. The other three followed him. He ran past a chair where Rienna's new basketball sat and without missing a step, picked it up, turned around, and, still running, threw it to his sister. "Catch!" Rienna did catch it, and with a laugh they all ran off to find the indoor basketball court.

"You're not going to resize that ring, are you?" Chi-Chi asked once the children were gone. "If she keeps it long enough, she might be able to wear it when she's older."

"I know," Vegeta said. "Which is why we have a better idea. Right, Bulma?" She nodded with a smile.

"Exactly."

"Oh!" Chi-Chi and Goku said at the same time.

"But there's one thing that's got me confused," Goku said.

"Well, what's that, Goku?" Bulma asked.

"Well," Goku said after a moment. "…You called her Bulma." Vegeta clinched his fists and growled.

"Shut your mouth, Kakarott!"

"Hey, Goten?" Trunks asked. He and Goten were flying high above the earth among the clouds. Trunks seemed to be lying on his back in mid-air, hands under his head.

"Yeah?" Goten replied.

"Thanks for coming along," his friend said. "It really means a lot to me." Goten smiled.

"No problem."

"I don't think you quite understand," Trunks said. "With Chloe gone, and the kids at home… I really need to be around someone that cares. It's not good to be alone."

"I know," Goten said. "That's why I came. Even when we're old and wrinkly and retired-" Trunks laughed at this- "you're still my best friend. Always and forever?" Trunks nodded and smiled.

"Always and forever."

"Hey, Trunks," Goten said suddenly.

"What?"

"Look out for that-" THUD! Trunks flew headfirst into the mountainside.

"AH!" Trunks cried in agony. He held his head in his hands and glared at the mountain. "What the heck's a mountain doing way up here?!"

"Well, it *_is*_ a mountain…" Goten said with a small smile.

"Oh, shut up."

Vegeta's four grandchildren trudged back into the house as their basketball game ended. All of them were breathing heavily.

"So tired…… must… rest…" Brian slowly lumbered over to the couch and threw himself down.

"So sleepy…" Jamie also found his way to the couch and climbed up next to Brian. He laid down with his head on the armrest and almost immediately fell asleep. Brian quickly followed. Leah and Rienna walked in triumphantly, Rienna holding her basketball over her head like a trophy.

"We are the champions!!!" they declared together. Both of them giggled and looked at each other, suddenly feeling fatigue rush over their small bodies.

"Are you tired yet?" Rienna asked. Leah nodded.

"Uh huh." The girls climbed up onto the couch and wriggled their way between their brothers. Brian groaned as Rienna wiggled between him and the couch, but now his back was warmed by her own body heat, so he forgave her and went back to sleep. Leah and Jamie were also sleeping side-by-side on the other end.

Rienna snuggled closer to Brian. She felt safe when she was close to him. He'd protect her no matter what. And Daddy would be back soon, she decided. And he'd bring Mommy back. Rienna took a deep breath and sighed. And he'd bring Mommy back…

Bulma stood in the doorway and watched her grandchildren sleep. They had had such a rough day, she told herself. It was good for them to sleep. Sleep was peaceful… Suddenly Bulma realized that she, too, was tired. The events of the day had worn her out completely. Bulma closed her eyes. It felt good to rest, if only for a few minutes. Adrienne walked up behind her mother.

"Are they all asleep?" she asked. Without opening her eyes, Bulma nodded.

"I wish I could join them." Adrienne smiled.

"I know. Children have it easy, don't they?" Her mother chuckled.

"Sure do. But we had our chance."

"I know. But still…"

"Still what?" Bulma asked.

"It doesn't hurt to dream," Adrienne said finally.

"There's a flip side to that, you know."

"What's that?" Bulma opened her eyes and turned around to face her daughter.

"You never would have had Jamie or Leah if you hadn't grown up." Adrienne smiled.

"Guess you're right." Bulma grinned.

"Of course I'm right. Now let's get that ring taken care of."

The room was dark, with a single solitary desk lamp shining on the little oak desk in the room. Many computer panels and big screens lined the walls. At the desk, a man with short brown hair with gray streaks was sitting there in a roller chair, working on the final calculations and research to be done that night on his laptop computer. He was wearing what appeared to be a lab-coat over his brown dress pants and slick black shoes. "Is everything going according to plan, Ruben?" The man known as Ruben nodded.

"Yes sir." The other voice paused.

"Then you know what to do?" Ruben sighed.

"Yes sir."

"Good… See to it you don't screw this up." Ruben nodded again.

"No sir." He glanced at the little boy waiting for him outside his office. The little boy had his face, but his eyes were of his mother: pale yet crystal clear green, like the sea Ruben had once visited as a child. His hair was jet black and stood on end, spiked into separate clumps. His hair naturally grew like that, Ruben remembered. How odd it was…

The boy smiled at him and waved at his father. He couldn't wait for him to come home so they could play. His father longed to go home and forget about this whole mess, even if it was only for a day. But Ruben wouldn't be coming home anytime soon. He had a mission to fulfill.

Ruben sighed and stood, and started towards the door. The little boy, thinking his father was through with his work today, jumped down from his perch by the window and ran to greet his father. Ruben opened the door and found his son staring up at him expectantly.

"Hi Daddy!" the boy exclaimed. "Are you coming home now?" he asked. Ruben shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Aedan, but I have something I need to finish." Aedan sighed.

"Oh, ok… Well, can I come with you?" Ruben smiled sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, Aedan, you can't. I'd love for you to come, but you might get hurt, and I wouldn't want you to get hurt." Aedan hung his head.

"I know…" Ruben kneeled down to look his son in the face.

"Hey, I love you, ya know?" Aedan nodded.

"Yeah. I just wish you didn't have to work all the time."

"I know, me too. But I _will be home tonight, ok?" Aedan nodded again._

"Ok."

"Now why don't you go home and help Mommy, alright? I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Alright. Bye, Daddy." Aedan hugged his father tightly. "I love you."

"Love you, too," Ruben said, hugging him back. He stood up straight. "I'll see you later, ok?"

"Ok!" Aedan ran off down the hall. "Bye, Daddy!"

"Bye, Aedan! Be careful!"

"I will!" With that, Aedan disappeared around the corner. Ruben smiled. He was growing up so fast these days. Ruben wondered if he would ever have the chance to really stay home and spend some time with his family. Well, right now he had a job to do. Ruben sighed and thought about the task ahead of him. He wasn't going to enjoy this.

Rienna slept soundly in her temporary room. Her brothers and cousins were as well. Capsule Corp. was peaceful, for once.

Her small hand clutched the ring her father had given her. It was now on a gold chain that hung around her neck. It had been Vegeta's idea to put it on the chain, and Rienna loved it. She couldn't wait to show Daddy and Uncle Goten when he got back with the Dragonballs. But for now, sleeping sounded good.

"Good… she's asleep." A dark figure looked through the window into Rienna's room. The sun  was behind him, so only his silhouette could be seen against the sky. "That'll make things easier." The man, for it was a man, slowly opened the window as quietly as he could. Once the opening was big enough for him to fit through, the man crept into the room.

He hovered to her bedside and looked down at her. The man sighed. Well, it was now or never. He slowly reached down to pick her up.

Vegeta and his daughter sat in the kitchen. It was quiet in Capsule, and they were enjoying the silence. Suddenly, Vegeta felt another presence in the house. "Do you feel that?" Adrienne nodded. Suddenly, a boy about 11 years of age appeared next to both of them. He had short, spiked black hair and was wearing a red long-sleeved shirt and baggy khaki pants.

"Darrin!" Adrienne exclaimed. She hadn't seen him for a while. She'd hoped he would come out of the gravity room for the party, but he'd insisted on staying home. It was amazing how much like Vegeta he was.

"Miss Adrienne," Darrin said slowly. "I think we should check on Rienna." Vegeta narrowed his eyes. If Darrin had come from the gravity room to tell them about something, it had to be important.

"Rienna?" Adrienne asked.

"Don't ask questions!" Vegeta said, standing up as he said the words. "Come on!" He disappeared and reappeared in Rienna's room. A man with short brown hair was holding his granddaughter, his Rienna, and was trying to take her away. The man looked up, saw Vegeta, and gasped.

"Y- You're Vegeta, aren't you?! Oh, man, he warned me about you!" Suddenly Adrienne and Darrin appeared behind Vegeta. They quickly realized what was going on and glared at the intruder.

"Well, whoever "he" is," Vegeta snarled, "he was right! Now hand over my granddaughter!" The man shook his head.

"I- I can't do that. We need her."

"Who is 'we'?!" Vegeta snapped.

"That's for me to know," the man said, a little more confident now that Vegeta hadn't immediately snapped him in two. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to be going back."

"You're not going anywhere with her!" Adrienne declared.

"Yeah! Put her down!" Darrin said, going into his fighting stance. Again the man shook his head.

"Sorry," he said. Almost immediately, he was gone.

"No!" Vegeta cried, rushing to the window. 

"Rienna!" Adrienne and Darrin yelled.

"Get back here!" Vegeta flew out the window in a rage and up into the sky to survey the ground below. No sign of the kidnapper. "NO!" Vegeta glared off into the distance. He fought back both angry and sad tears and slowly floated back through the window. He landed and sat down on Rienna's bed. "Darn it all…" Vegeta took a deep breath to keep from crying, and put his head in his hands.

"Oh no…!" Adrienne moaned. "No no no no…."

"This isn't happening," she heard Vegeta whispering to himself. "It's not real, it's just a dream…" Darrin walked over to the window and looked out across the horizon.

"Rienna…" Adrienne walked up behind him and stared out the window as well.

"Dad… What are we going to tell Trunks…?"

"Hey, Goten, we already have half of them!" Trunks exclaimed excitedly. "I can't believe it!"

"Yeah, we're making good time. If only we had two of these…" Goten said, holding up the dragon radar. "Then we could split up. You know, cover more ground."

"Not a bad idea," Trunks said. "Why didn't I think of that? I'll have to tell Mom when we get back. She'll make another one."

"Yeah!" All of a sudden, Trunks' cell phone began to ring. "Hey, Trunks, isn't that your phone?"

"Yeah…" They both stopped in midair as Trunks pulled his phone out of his backpack. "Hello? Oh, Mom! Hi! We were just talking about you! Listen, we had this- What? Mom, have you been crying?" 

Goten frowned. Oh no… What could have happened in the short time they were gone? "Mom, Mom, slow down. What happened?" Trunks nodded as Bulma told him the story. "Uh huh… baking cookies.. nap…. WHAT?! Oh my gosh! We'll be right there!" Trunks slapped his phone shut and thrust it back in his backpack. "New plan, Goten," he said, fear written in his expression. "The Dragonballs can wait- Rienna's been kidnapped."

Goten and Trunks landed on the pathway leading to Capsule Corp. and ran into the house. "Mom!"

"Trunks!" Bulma rushed into her son's arms. "Oh, you're here! Thank goodness!"

"Goten!" Adrienne exclaimed. "You're back!" Goten met his wife in the middle of the room.

"What happened?" Goten asked. Adrienne shook her head.

"I don't know. Darrin warned us- There was this man- He was holding Rienna-"

"Where's Brian?" Trunks asked.

"I'm right here, Dad." Trunks turned around to find Brian standing behind him. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and stood there as Trunks rushed over to his son.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah." Trunks picked him up.

"Where's Dad?" Trunks asked sternly.

"Upstairs, Rienna's room," Bulma told him. "Goku's up there with him, but I don't think he's helping much, despite his best efforts." Trunks nodded.

"Here, Adrienne, take Brian for a second." Adrienne nodded and took Brian as Trunks walked up the stairs and into Rienna's room.

"Trunks, you're back!" Chi-Chi exclaimed.

"Hey, Trunks," Goku said. "I'm sorry… I wasn't here…" Trunks shook his head.

"It's not your fault…"  he said. Trunks surveyed the room and found his father sitting on the bed. "Could… could you leave for a second?"

"Sure," Chi-Chi said. "C'mon, Goku." Both of them left and Trunks and Vegeta were alone. They were silent for a minute, then Vegeta spoke. Without looking up from his hands, he said:

"I should have done something… I just stood there, like an idiot…"

"How could you have let this happen???" Trunks demanded angrily. Vegeta didn't answer. "Tell me, Dad! How could you?"

"I don't-"

"Don't say you don't know, 'cause you do know!" Vegeta glared up angrily at his son.

"Well, at least I was here!" Trunks stood there, shocked.

"What?"

"At least I _tried_!" Vegeta snapped. "He just disappeared! I couldn't trace him! I tried as hard as I could! I'm sorry it wasn't good enough, and I'm not gonna give up on her, either, so don't give me that crap! I'm still your father!" Trunks narrowed his eyes.

"I'm a father, too, ya know…" He turned around to leave, and stopped at the doorway. He spoke without turning around. "And I'm taking my son and I am leaving." Vegeta stood up in shock.

"What?"

"You heard me." With that, Trunks walked off down the stairs.

"Brian, grab your coat," Trunks said as he descended the stairs.

"But Dad-"

"Just go get it. We're leaving."

"What?" everyone chorused.

"You can't leave," Adrienne said.

"Yeah, Rienna's still out there, and that guy-"

"I know, Goten," Trunks interrupted. "I know. But I've had just about all I can take of this. I'm going home to rest. Call the police if you want. Not that it'll do any good."

"Trunks!" Bulma exclaimed.

"No, Mom, don't," Trunks said. "I can't take it anymore." Brian ran back into the room with his coat on. Trunks picked him up and headed for the door. "Please, don't call me for a couple days, ok?" Bulma opened her mouth to protest, but Adrienne caught her eye and shook her head. Bulma sighed.

"Alright, Trunks. If that's what you want." Trunks nodded. "Alright, then."

"Thanks for understanding." He headed for the front door.

"Bye," Brian said solemnly, waving over his father's shoulder.

"Bye, Brian," Bulma said. Trunks walked out the door and closed it behind him.

When Trunks got home, the first thing he did was put Brian to bed. It had been a very rough holiday for everyone. Now that Rienna was gone… No, she wasn't gone. Trunks shook his head and walked into the kitchen. You know, he thought to himself, hot chocolate sounded pretty good right now. He warmed the water in the microwave and poured in the mix. After adding a few marshmallows, he sat down at the kitchen table and took a sip. He just needed to clear his mind. A lot had happened the last few days…

Trunks stared into his mug as he stirred the hot chocolate lazily. Hot chocolate was Chloe's favorite… Suddenly, Trunks didn't have the heart to drink anymore. He decided maybe he should go to bed, too. Trying not to be wasteful, Trunks put his mug in the fridge. Maybe he'd drink it later. Trunks shook his head and slowly walked into his room. He changed into the flannel pajamas Bulma had given him last Christmas and climbed into bed. Last Christmas… That brought back too many painful memories. Trunks shook his head and tried to stop thinking at all. It didn't work.

Suddenly, he found himself crying silently. It was all too much. Chloe… Rienna… Trunks flipped over onto his stomach and hid his face in his pillow. "No…!" he moaned over and over again. "No, no, no…! You're not dead! You're not gone!"

In the other room, Brian heard his father's groaning. He slowly shuffled into his father's room, climbed up onto the bed and lay down beside him.

"Daddy," he said softly, "hug me." Trunks lifted his head to look at his son. The mini-version of him was just as scared, if not more so, than he was. Trunks smiled weakly and pulled him close.

"Oh, Brian," he said, "I'm not ever gonna let you go." Trunks glanced over Brian's shoulder at last year's family picture that was sitting on the bedside table. "Not ever."

Ruben landed on the grounds of the lab with a little girl in his arms. He slowly walked into the lab and carried her down many chrome corridors until finally he reached the door he was looking for. It was a large room, but many a control panel took up most of the space. Against one wall was a desk, and on top of it were a microscope and several pages of hand-written notes. In the middle of the room was a chair with cruel-looking restraints for someone's hands and feet. There were some medical utensils- syringes, scissors, gauze, and the like- on a small cart beside the chair.

He walked over to the chair and set the little girl down. She was asleep, but would probably wake up soon, he figured. A man with black spiked hair walked into the room. He wore a light gray long-sleeved shirt that was tucked into his khaki pants, and brown dress shoes. Over that he wore a white lab-coat.

"Aaron!" Aaron nodded.

"Ruben." He smiled at the little girl asleep in the chair. "So you got her." Ruben looked away.

"Yes."

"Good. Any problems?"

"No sir," Ruben said quickly. "Well, I did run into Vegeta, but-" Aaron whirled around and glared at the younger man.

"What do you mean, you ran into him?"

"Well, er, sir, he caught me." Aaron's eyes flared. "B-But it's alright! He still doesn't have a clue to what's going on. And I made sure he couldn't track me." Aaron relaxed a little.

"Good." Rienna began to stir. "Oh?" She slowly opened her eyes. "Good evening, little one," Aaron said slyly. Rienna gasped.

"Who- Who are you?" she asked. "Where is everybody?"

"They're at home," Aaron said calmly. "But you're here. So I suppose the question is, where are you?"

"I don't *_know_* where I am!" Rienna shouted. "You take me home right now!"

"Sorry, kid," Aaron said coldly. "You're with us now. We need you."

"Well find someone else to need, 'cause I'm leaving!" Rienna tried to hop down from the chair, but Aaron quickly stopped her. "Hey, let go!"

"I don't think you get it. You're staying with us. For good."

"NO!" Rienna shouted. She kicked out at Aaron as hard as she could and hit his knee.

"Ow! You little-" Ruben interrupted Aaron's threats.

"Rienna," he said, "calm down."

"You!" Rienna exclaimed. "I saw you in my dream!"

"It wasn't a dream, kid," Aaron said, rubbing his sore knee. He walked over to the medical cart and picked up a syringe filled with a clear liquid. "Now hold still and you'll be dreaming again in no time." Rienna watched in horror as he brought it closer.

"No!" Aaron stuck the needle into her arm and injected the tranquilizer. Rienna slowly began to calm down, and her energy seemed to fade away. Finally, she was fast asleep.

"Well, that takes care of that," Aaron said, putting the syringe back on the cart. He picked up an empty one and began to sterilize it.

"Aaron," Ruben said quietly. "Remind me again why we had to use her of all people. I mean, couldn't we have used Adri-"

"No," Aaron answered sternly. "Good grief, Ruben, how many times do I have to tell you? We need her because we need those cells. They're part of a Saiyan's immune system." Aaron put the syringe back down. "Once a Saiyan, or, say, Saiyan descendant such as her, reaches the age of 7, the cells deteriorate because they are unneeded anymore. They're only used to help boost the immune system at a young age. That's why we couldn't use Adrienne."

"Oh." Ruben thought about this for a moment. "So what are we going to do with her once we've extracted the cells?"

"Oh, I don't know. We don't need her anymore, so…" Ruben gasped.

"You can't mean…" Aaron shrugged. 

"We're devastating the planet, remember? What's one life?" Ruben thought a minute. What's one life….? He looked at Rienna, sleeping there in her chair of what seemed as impending doom. This girl reminded him of his own little boy back home. Back home…

"Say, Aaron," Ruben said suddenly. "Instead of just doing away with her, I can take her home with me." Aaron nearly had a heart attack.

"Are you crazy?! As soon as you turn your back, she'll be gone!"

"I think I've found a way around that. I've been working on a project recently…" Ruben walked over to one of the computers lining the wall and pulled up a few of his old notes. "I've been researching a better, more effective way to control someone's memory. If I could make her think she's not wanted at home anymore, then she'll be ready and willing to stay where she _is_ wanted."

"Hm…" Aaron thought this over. "I see what you're saying. Say, and if she thinks her family abandoned her… This could work to our advantage."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Aaron said, beginning to pace as he thought. "If she thinks she was abandoned by her family, she'll obviously show resentment toward them."

"Revenge…" Ruben said thoughtfully. Aaron smiled a devious smile.

"Exactly."

"So what you're saying is that we could use her once the formula is finished." Aaron nodded.

"Of course." Ruben thought this over for a moment. He nodded.

"It just might work."

"Good. Get to work on it right away."

"Yes sir!" Ruben began to type away at his computer, figuring out all the details for the job ahead of him. He wasn't happy about what they'd done, but at least he could save her life.

WHOA! Who're these guys!? WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?! Ha ha ha! Wouldn't you like to know? BWA HA HA HA!!!! Next chapter. ....If I'm gracious. *evil laughter* If you review, I might let you in on the story line a little. ~_^


	5. She's Back

Syndrome

DISCLAIMER: I do *_not_* own DBZ (Hee hee…. _Yet_… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!

. : : Chapter 5 : She's Back : : .

It had been ten years since the day the girls left them, but Brian and Trunks were still going strong. Brian now had a girlfriend named Alexandra (Alex for short), and was looking forward to enjoying his summer vacation- today was the last day of school. Brian would be a senior at Orange Star High School next year, and his 18th birthday was next month. There was going to be a party at Capsule Corp. for him, and everyone was already making plans. He couldn't wait.

Brian put down his pencil and closed his journal. He'd been given that journal by his father a couple years ago, and he was faithful and wrote in it everyday. Brian uncrossed his legs and swung them over the side of his bed. He stared at the picture on his bedside table of his mom and little sister playing in their backyard. Brian sighed.

"I wish you two could be here to see me now," he said to himself. Suddenly Brian's cell phone rang, and he desperately began searching for it in his messy backpack. "C'mon, c'mon, where is it?!" He hadn't bothered to clean out his backpack yet, but now was a good time to start. "Oh man!" He started pulling out crumbled up pieces of paper, notebooks, and other school things. The phone kept ringing. Finally, after half-emptying his backpack, he found his little red cell phone. Brian jammed the talk button and held it up to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked, out of breath.

"Hey, it's me," answered his girlfriend.

"Oh, hey, Alex," Brian answered cheerfully.

"Lemme guess: it was in your backpack and you had to dump almost everything on the floor to find it?" Brian chuckled.

"You know me well."

"Yeah, well, never mind that. Have you guys been watching the news?" Brian frowned.

"Uh… no."

"Well, go steal the TV from your dad for a second."

"Ok…" Brian walked into the living room where his dad was watching the Weather Channel.

"Hey, Brian," Trunks said, turning around. "Looks like tomorrow's gonna be _really_ hot."

"Dad, hit channel 7 for a sec," Brian said, ignoring his father's weather advice. He didn't see how people could just sit there and watch the Weather Channel all day. "Alex says something's going' on in town."

"Really?" Trunks grabbed the remote and switched to channel 7.

"And we're reporting live from Satan City, where two teenagers with supernatural power are launching an assault on the city as we speak," the reporter was saying. Brian walked around the couch and sat down next to Trunks. The reporter disappeared as footage from the city began to reel. Two teenage people, a boy and a girl, were floating in midair and destroying anything in their path. The boy had short black hair that stood up and slanted back on his head a little. He was wearing a dark blue tank and baggy black pants with a brown leather belt and silver buckle. He had burgundy sneakers with black stripes and black laces, and his right ear was pierced with a ruby-studded earring.

The girl had boy-short red hair, and was wearing a tight black and white tank top that stopped about three inches above her waist. Her jeans were olive green, and a black belt held them at her hips. She had black gloves, brown sneakers, and a golden hoop in each ear.

"Hey, that guy looks like Gohan…" Brian said under his breath.

"What?" Alex asked on the other end.

"Nothing. Hey Dad, maybe we should-"

"Hold on, Brian, let's not do anything just yet. Why don't you call your grandfather on our line?"

"Ok," Brian said, walking into the other room to make the call.

"At the time we do not have any information as to who these individuals are, where they come from, or why they are destroying the city. Stay tuned for more- Hold on!" The reporter stopped short as another figure appeared behind the other two. It was another teenager, a girl, with short lavender hair. She was wearing a light gray, short-sleeved T-shirt over a dark blue, long-sleeved one. The gray shirt had a bright cerulean stripe across the top, and over her heart was a slanted "R". She wore dark gray jeans, black and white tennis shoes, and a pair of black finger-less gloves. Trunks' eyes widened.

"Rienna…?"

"Hey, Dad, Grandpa wasn't ho-" Brian stopped short when his eyes fell on the TV screen.

"Brian, what's wrong?" Alex asked over the phone.

"It's… my sister!"

"What?! Not the same sister that disappeared?"

"No doubt, that's Ri! Dad!" Trunks was already off the couch and grabbing his coat. "Hey, wait for me! Hey Alex, I'll have to call you back."

"No prob."

"Apparently, another youth has joined the two…" said the reporter. "They seem to be talking… what the he- they disappeared!!"

"WHAT?!" Brian and Trunks exclaimed together. They both rushed over to the couch and stared at the TV screen in disbelief.

"No!" Brian cried. "Not again!"

"That's it, I'm calling Grandpa," Trunks said.

"But Dad, he wasn't home!" 

"Well see if you can reach Grandma's-" Suddenly, there was a knock on their door. Trunks opened it, and Vegeta and Bulma were standing on the doorstep.

"Mom, Dad!" Trunks exclaimed.

"She's back," Vegeta said.

"I can't believe it," Trunks was saying. He, his parents, and Brian were sitting at their kitchen table. "After all these years, she's…"

"Yeah, we tried everything!" Brian exclaimed. "We have to go find her."

"What was she doing with those other two…?" Trunks asked thoughtfully. "Ri would never-"

"She's not the same Rienna we knew anymore," Vegeta said solemnly. Bulma nodded.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Vegeta's right, Trunks," she said. "She was raised differently than we would have, so she's almost a completely different person." Trunks bowed his head and glared at the table. He clenched his fists as he remembered how half of his family had been taken away from him those ten years ago. The more he thought about it, the tighter he clinched them, until his whole arm began to shake. Someone put their hand on his shoulder, and Trunks snapped out of his angry thoughts and looked up at his mother.

"Trunks," she said softly, "we're pretty sure we know where she went. Maybe there's a chance."

"Really?" Bulma nodded.

"Whoever it was that sent the three of them forgot to remind them to mask their energy levels," Vegeta said with a smirk. "They can run, and they can hide, but even the smartest make mistakes." Brian jumped up from the table.

"Then what are we waiting for? Lets go!"

"Wait, Brian," Bulma said to her grandson. "We need to go into this with a plan."

"And no doubt everyone will want to come," Vegeta said. "Though that's probably not a good idea."

"Yeah," Trunks said, nodding. "But then again, the more people we have, the better chance we stand, right?" Vegeta scoffed.

"We can handle this ourselves."

"But you don't know what you're up against," Bulma warned him. "And besides, you won't be able to keep Adrienne down long," she added with a smile. Vegeta sighed. She was right. And the others would be just the same.

"Fine. But we'd better leave as soon as possible." Brian grinned at his father, who had to smile back. 

*_We're coming, Ri_,* Brian thought.

"We can't take *_all_* of you!" Vegeta exclaimed. The whole gang was at Capsule Corp. and so far, Goku, Gohan, Pan, Krillin, Leah, Jamie, Darrin, Adrienne, and Goten had all volunteered to go on the rescue mission.

"But we want to go!" all of them chorused.

"We know you guys want to go, and we appreciate the help, but twelve people is way too many!" Trunks said.

"I agreed that a few people could go, not the whole family!" Vegeta snapped. "This is outrageous!"

"Well, I have to go," Adrienne said, crossing her arms. "Nothing you say or do can make me stay here!"

"We know," Vegeta and Trunks said together.

"I'm going, too," Goten said, also crossing his arms.

"I'm definitely going," Jamie said.

"Yeah, me too," Leah said.

"Krillin," Eighteen said, "I think you're getting a little old for this. Maybe you should stay."

"What are you talking about? I'm as healthy as ever!" Suddenly, Krillin felt a pain in his back. "Oh! Maybe not!"

"We need someone to stay here, in case something happens," Goten said. "Gohan-"

"C'mon, you can't make me stay!" Gohan protested.

"But we really need someone to stay here. What if while we're gone someone attacks the city again?" Gohan whined. He knew his brother was right.

"Oh, alright. Pan, you're staying with me."

"Aw, Dad!"

"No buts! What would Jason say if I let his wife- and my daughter- go off on some dangerous-"

"Ok, Dad, I get the point," Pan said sourly. She crossed her arms and glared at her father.

"Well, that narrows it down to nine…" Brian said, surveying the remaining volunteers.

"Nine seems like a good, even number," Goku said cheerfully.

"Nine is an odd number, you dolt!" Vegeta shouted. Goku frowned.

"You know what I meant, Vegeta!"

"C'mon, now, no fighting!" Chi-Chi scolded. "How are you going to save Rienna if you're fighting the whole time?" Vegeta and Goku glared at each other for a minute, then both of them scoffed and turned away, their arms crossed.

"I don't see why Kakarott has to come," Vegeta said haughtily.

"Because I asked him to," Trunks said with a frown.

"Why'd you go and do _that?!"_

"DAD!" Trunks screamed at the top of his lungs. Everyone stared at him, dumfounded, as he took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Why don't we get going?" he asked finally.

"And let's not fight all the way there, either, _Vegeta," Bulma said, giving her husband a warning look. Vegeta rolled his eyes._

"'And let's not fight all the way there, either, Vegeta'," he repeated sassily.

"Don't you give me that, Vegeta!" Bulma exclaimed. "You may be a Saiyan, but I'm a _woman_!"

"Yeah!" Chi-Chi said, stepping next to Bulma. "We give the gift of life, and we sure as heck can take it away!" Both wives stared daggers at Vegeta, and he slowly took a few steps backwards, shocked.

"Y-you're pathetic," he said finally. Bulma laughed.

"Get out of my face already. And bring back my granddaughter!" Vegeta swallowed and nodded.

"We plan on it," he said, having regained his composure and usual haughtiness.

"Don't worry, Bulma," Darrin said, "we'll bring her back."

"Be careful!" Pan called as they all headed out the door.

"We will!" Trunks shouted back. The door closed behind them, and the 9 Saiyans took off into the sky on their mission.

Aaron paced angrily in front of the two teenagers before him. "What on earth possessed you to go take out an assault on the city?!" he exclaimed, glaring deep into their eyes.

"Well, sir," the boy started.

"I'm sorry, it was my fault," Ruben said. He and Rienna were standing behind Aaron. Aaron whirled around abruptly.

"What do you mean, 'your fault'?"

"Well, Aaron, I told them to go and test their skills out on a town." Ruben glared past Aaron at the two. "I did *_not*, however, tell them to go attack Satan!"_

"We're sorry, Aaron," the boy explained.

"Yeah," the girl agreed. "We should have checked with you, first."

"Thank *_goodness_* I sent Ri out to stop you," Ruben said with a sigh.

"Well see that it doesn't happy again. *_Ever*." Both of them nodded._

"Yes sir," they chorused. Aaron turned to leave. "And Ruben?"

"Sir?"

"Don't ever do that again." Ruben nodded.

"Sir." Aaron turned and walked out the door.

"I'm sorry, Dad," the boy said. "I wasn't thinking, I guess." Ruben sighed.

"That's alright, Aedan. You really should check with me before you go off and do something like that again."

"With all due respect, Mr. Kinamora," the girl said, "you didn't specify a place for us to practice."

"You're right, Jaerie," Ruben answered, nodding. "And I'm sorry for that."

"You guys got off easy," Rienna said.

"Yeah, you were lucky," Ruben said.

"Thanks for coming and getting us, Ri," Aedan said, smiling. "Who knows what Aaron would have done if we hadn't come back." Rienna smiled back.

"No problem."

"Yeah, thanks," Jaerie said, glancing at Aedan. "I guess."

"So where is this place?" Brian asked, zooming ahead of the others to his grandfather's side.

"I don't know," Vegeta said calmly.

"What?!"

"I don't know," Vegeta repeated. "But I know where they are." Brian frowned.

"What?" Vegeta shook his head and sighed.

"I don't know the exact location, but I can tell where they are. What do they teach you in those schools?"

"Lots of stuff!" Brian said. "You've got math, biology, English, history (which I don't particularly care for)…"

"Bah," Vegeta snapped. "Kids these days should be taught how to fight."

"But Grandpa, I can fight! Dad and I spar all the time!"

"Humph."

"No, really! I think I'm actually gaining on him."

"What are you talking about? I beat you up all the time!" Trunks said, gliding up to his son. He grinned. "You just can't handle The Master!" Vegeta smirked.

"Is that why you're scared of your sister, oh great Master?" Trunks' face went red.

"That's different," he said. "She's a girl. _And she's all Saiyan."_

"Uh huh," Vegeta said sarcastically. Brian laughed.

"That's ok, Dad, I'm scared of Alex."

"Why are there so many wimps in my family!?" Vegeta exclaimed. "Hm… Must get it from your mother." Trunks smiled deviously.

"Yeah? Maybe so… but then why are *_you* scared of *__Mom*?" Vegeta stopped smiling._

"I'm not scared of that woman!" he declared.

"Sure, Vegeta," Goku said, joining the conversation.

"Shut it, Kakarott! You're scared of a girl, too, so just shut it!"

"'Course I'm scared of Chi-Chi," Goku said good-naturedly. "She's my wife! *_And_* the strongest woman in the world." Goku paused for a moment. "Plus she wields a frying pan."

"Well, I'm not scared of Adrienne," Goten said. Adrienne glared at him. Goten grinned nervously. "Eh heh… ok, maybe I am!" Adrienne grinned with satisfaction.

"Maybe all Saiyans are wimps…" Goku said thoughtfully.

"NO!" Vegeta shouted, covering his ears with his hands. "I'LL NOT HEAR IT! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" Leah and Darrin just looked at each other.

"No offense, Leah, but your family, is… odd." Leah sighed.

"Always has been. But I still love them." Darrin nodded.

"Yeah… family's important, and I consider you guys my family. That's why I came."

"Oh… Well, thanks, Darrin!" Darrin smiled.

"Not a problem."

"Hey, guys, the signal's getting stronger!" Trunks called. "Wherever they are, it's right up ahead!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Adrienne asked excitedly.

"Let's go!" Darrin cheered.

"Let's teach them not to mess with our family!" Jamie yelled.

"Yeah!" Brian said, giving his best friend a high-five. With that, the group sped off into the horizon.

"Hey, Ri?"

"Huh?" Rienna turned around on her perch on the roof to find Aedan standing behind her. "Oh, hey, Aedan," she said. He sat down beside her and crossed his legs.

"Whatcha doin'?" Aedan asked her. Rienna smiled softly.

"To be honest, I'm not sure." Aedan cocked his head at her. "I just felt like coming up here. Like something was drawing me out. Like… maybe there's something I need to see."

"Oh…" Aedan frowned. "I don't get it." Rienna laughed.

"Neither do I."

"Yeah, but not just about this," Aedan said. "Ever since you came to live with us, I've never quite understood you. Almost like there's another part of you I haven't seen yet." It was Rienna's turn to be confused.

"What do you mean? I've always been like you know me now."

"I know, but still…" Aedan shook his head. "Never mind. Forget I even brought it up." He sighed and stretched out on the roof, putting his hands behind his head. "What a nice day."

"Yeah. It doesn't feel like summer, yet," Rienna said, lying down beside him.

"Yeah… Hey, Ri, uh… I know it's kinda early, but I'm gonna be a senior next year, and… well… I was wondering-"

"Hey, Aedan? Where are you?" Aedan sighed.

"Perfect timing," he muttered under his breath. He and Rienna sat up. "Up here, Jaerie!" Jaerie hovered up to the roof and landed near the edge.

"Hey, there you are! Oh, hi, Ri," she added.

"Hey, Jaer." Jaerie ignored her.

"Look, your dad says he found a good spot for us to practice together."

"Great," Aedan said sarcastically. He glanced at Rienna, who snickered at him. It was a known fact that Jaerie liked Aedan- a lot. "Hey, Ri, why don't you come with us?" he asked suddenly.

"No," Jaerie said. "Kinamora said just us."

"W-w-w-what!?" Aedan stammered in disbelief. "What's he trying to pull?!" Rienna laughed. 

"Aedan, maybe you should go talk to your dad," she said. 

"Maybe I will," Aedan said angrily. Jaerie grabbed his arm.

"There's no time for that! C'mon, Aedan, we need a little 'alone time'." She gave Rienna a gloating look. Rienna smiled back dully.

"What? Hey, n-no, wait a minute!" Aedan exclaimed, wriggling free of her grasp. "What if I don't _want to go?"_

"You have to. Ruben's orders," Jaerie said sourly.

"_Crap_!" Aedan sighed. "I'll talk to you later, Ri. We won't be too long. I hope," he added, with a glare at Jaerie.

"See ya, Aedan," Rienna said.

"C'mon, Aedan, we haven't got all day!" Jaerie said, crossing her arms. "I want to blow something up, and I want to do it now!"

"Be patient!" Aedan exclaimed. "Jeez! Alright, I'm coming!" He waved to Ri, and she waved back. "Bye."

"Follow me, I know exactly where to go!" Jaerie said.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Aedan muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing." They both flew out of sight. Rienna sighed.

"Wonder what he was going to say…"

"Rienna, come with me." Rienna turned around.

"Aaron?" He nodded.

"Just come. I need to talk to you." Rienna stood up and brushed off her pants.

"Ok…"

"What's up, Aaron?" Rienna leaned against the desk Ruben was sitting at.

"I have an assignment for you," he said calmly. "It appears we have some visitors."

"What? 'Visitors'?" Aaron nodded and pulled up a screen on the computer.

"Do you recognize any of these people?" Rienna leaned closer to the group of people flying towards the lab She shook her head.

"No, not really."

"Really?" Aaron typed something into the computer and the camera zoomed in on a middle-aged man with lavender hair. "You should."

"Why?" Rienna asked. She stared closer at the man. "Now that I think about it, he looks kinda familiar. Who is he?" Aaron closed his eyes.

"Well, we know him as multi-millionaire Trunks Briefs, but more specifically…" Aaron paused, and Rienna cocked her head. "He's your father."

"What?!" Rienna jumped backwards in surprise. "You can't be serious!"

"You don't take me at my word?" Rienna thought that over.

"…But he can't be. Sure, I look like him, but……"

"Ri," Aaron said, standing up. He put his hand on her shoulder as she stared at the man on the screen. "He's coming for you. The whole family." Here Aaron hesitated. "Well, most of them."

"But that… that can't be… my family…" Rienna said, pulling away from Aaron and taking a few steps backwards. She shook her head. "No, I don't have a family."

"Yes you do, Rienna," Aaron said softly. Rienna glared at the screen.

"The only family I have is the Kinamoras," she said sternly. "No one's going to take them away from me." Aaron smiled.

"I was hoping you'd say that."

"I thought you said this place was right up ahead?" Brian asked impatiently.

"It is," Vegeta said. "Oh, and Kakarott? I'd duck if I were you."

"Huh?" Goku looked back ahead of him and squeaked as he ducked and barely missed a bunch of perturbed geese. Vegeta laughed.

"I like those geese," he said, an evil smile on his face. "They don't like _you_!" Goku scowled at Vegeta.

"That wasn't very nice!"

"Ignore him, Dad," Goten said. Goku shook his fist at Vegeta.

"One of these days…!" He sighed. "I don't see how you put up with him, Adrienne." Adrienne shrugged.

"He put up with _me_."

"Hey, Dad, I think I see it!" Brian exclaimed, pointing on ahead of him. "That's it, right?" Everyone looked where he was pointed. A large white, 4-story building stood in front of him. There were no windows, and no signs or anything to mark what it was. Vegeta nodded.

"That's it," he said grimly.

"Rienna's in *_there_*?" Jamie asked.

"No," someone behind them said. "She's right here." All nine of them whirled around to face the very person they had come for: Rienna.

"Whoa!" A kick from Rienna sent Leah flying into the ground below. Vegeta and Darrin clenched their firsts. "What was that for?!" Leah exclaimed. She flew back up to the others and glared at her cousin. "Don't you remember who I am?! I could kick your butt!"

"Maybe," Rienna said haughtily. "Maybe not. Care to find out?"

"Rienna!"

"Hm?" Rienna raised her eyebrow in Adrienne's direction. "Hey, I know you. You're Trunks' sister, right?" Adrienne nodded.

"That's right. I'm your aunt."

"Hmph," Rienna said, disappearing and reappearing behind the group. "I know who my family is, and I know who you are." She disappeared again and reappeared in her original position. "And you're not my family."

"What are you talking about?" Vegeta snarled. "Of course we're your family."

"Yeah, right."

"Ri…"

"What?!" Rienna whirled around to find Trunks floating behind her. Trunks stared into her eyes for a while. "….Would you stop staring at me already?!"

"You remind me of your mother…" Rienna's eyes widened, then narrowed.

"My mother… my mother's dead. And when I'm through with you, you will be too!" She punched at Trunks' face, but he stopped her without flinching. "Huh? Whoa!" Trunks threw her to the ground.

"Dad!" Brian exclaimed. Trunks flew down to where Rienna had landed.

"We're not here to fight you," Trunks said softly. "We're here _for_ you."

"No! You're not going to hurt me again!" she screamed, jumping up and flying back to the rest of the group. "Who's going to take me on first?! I'll even take all of you!"

"Rienna, stop it!" Brian shouted angrily. She turned and stared at him. He stared back intently at her. He looked so familiar, and yet, so unfamiliar… Suddenly she realized that this was her older brother, and her eyes widened slightly.

"You're…"

"It's me, Brian!"

"B… Brian……..?" As his name escaped her lips, images of basketball games, making cookies, and fighting over mistletoe came flooding back to her. "Brian… no…I don't… have… a family…" Rienna slowly began to float away from them.

"Rienna-"

"No!" Rienna shook her head quickly. "You're all a bunch of liars!"

"Rienna, please," Darrin pleaded. "Hear us out!" She shook her head again.

"NO!" Without warning, several drones with mechanical arms came streaming out of the building below and swarmed around the group.

"What the-" "Hey!" "The heck is this?!" Someone below them laughed over what sounded like a loudspeaker.

"Well done, Rienna," said the voice. "Just like I planned."

"Aaron!" Vegeta growled. The voice laughed.

"Hello, Vegeta," he said craftily. "I hope you like my drones. Their arms are made of my own special metal: you can't break it, and you can't move through it."

"What about instant transmission?" Goku said, as he disappeared. "OW! Dang it!"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention the anti-transmission field," Aaron said, laughing again. "Take them to their cells," he said to the drones. "But make sure Adrienne goes to the 'guest chamber.'"

"What?!" Vegeta exclaimed.

"No!" Goten shouted, struggling to break free from the small but strong robots.

"Mom!" Leah cried. "Miss Adrienne!" Darrin yelled at the same time.

"Adrienne!" Vegeta tried desperately to get away and save his daughter as the drones took her away. She, too, was struggling.

"Don't worry about me," she called, "I'll be fine! Just save Ri!"

"I don't need saving," Rienna said, crossing her arms. "Take them away," she said to the robots.

"Roger," the leader said mechanically.

"Rienna!" Brian cried, struggling to break free. "Ri, don't do this!"

"Zap them," Rienna said calmly, ignoring her brother's pleading.

"Ma'am," confirmed the robot. He signaled the others, and together they sent an electrical shock throughout their captives' bodies, causing them all to pass out.

"Ri…" Brian was the last to give out. He stared up at his sister with tears in his eyes and finally succumbed to the shock.

When Trunks woke up, he was in a bright, metal room. The walls seemed to be made of glass, and he could see his reflection very clearly. Someone beside him groaned.

"Dad…?" Brian sat up with his hand on his forehead. "Where are we?"

"I don't know, Brian. Probably in their prison area."

"Oh great," Brian said sarcastically. "How are we going to save Ri if we're stuck in a cell somewhere?!" He began to pull on his hair in frustration.

"Calm down, Brian, don't hurt yourself," Trunks said with a hint of humor in his voice. "We'll get out of here."

"How did I get stuck with you?!" Vegeta exclaimed. "You, of all people!"

"Maybe you're just lucky," Goku replied with a grin.

"ARGH!" Vegeta hit himself in the head. "Is this some kind of cruel joke, Aaron?!" he yelled at the ceiling.

"Not originally, but it works," Aaron answered out of no where.

"Darn it!" Goku stood up and walked over to the vent in the wall.

"Hello?" his voice echoed, and he grinned. "Hello hello! Hel-looo-"

"Would you stop that?!" Vegeta screeched.

"Sorry…"

"Dad?" came Goten's voice.

"Goten!"

"Thought that was you. I've got Jamie here with me. Who else can hear us?"

"We can," came Trunks' voice. "I've got Brian."

"And we're here, too!" Darrin called. 

"Mom's not here, is she?" Leah asked.

"I don't think so, Leah," Goku replied. Vegeta growled.

"When I get my hands on that filthy disgraceful imbecile I'm going to-"

"Vegeta, that's _enough_," Goku snapped. His patience was wearing thin with Vegeta's constant ranting. Vegeta stared at him, surprised. "We need to get out of here if we're going to do _anything_."

"That you won't be doing anytime soon," Aaron said. "Try if you must." Vegeta snarled at him.

"I'll show you!" In his rage, Vegeta blasted the wall with a large Ki blast, and was surprised when it bounced off the wall back at him. "AH!"

"Whoa!" Goku ducked just in time as the blast missed Vegeta and bounced over his head. Soon both Saiyans were dodging the Ki as it bounced faster and faster around the cell. Goku soon found himself in a corner in front of Vegeta, and instinctively, he ducked. The blast missed Goku but went on to hit Vegeta. The smoke cleared, and Vegeta was standing there, a dazed look on his face, with his clothes torn and his hair smoldering. Aaron began to laugh hysterically, and Vegeta snapped out of his confusion.

"Darn it, Aaron!"

"How do you like my Devil's Reflection alloy?" Aaron asked slyly. "Made it myself."

"Well _you've_ been busy," Trunks said sarcastically.

"Of course I have. You don't think a man of intelligence such as myself would ever stay idle for too long, do you?"

"Intelligence my a-"

"Of course you wouldn't know, Vegeta," Aaron said, all amusement gone from his voice.

"Why you-"

"Well, I'll leave you to your thoughts," Aaron said casually. "I just hope you stay sane long enough for me to torture you for a while." He laughed maniacally. "Oh, and Vegeta?"

"What?!"

"I'll take good care of your daughter for you, since you can't be there to do it yourself." Vegeta snarled and glared daggers at the ceiling as Aaron's laughter faded away. Goten shook his fist at the ceiling.

"If you touch her, Aaron, I swear I'll kill you!" Jamie put his hand on his father's shoulder and Goten sighed. "If anything happens to her…"

"It  won't, Dad, it won't. Mom'll be ok." Goten nodded.

"Guess you're right."

"So how are we going to get out of here?" Darrin asked. "We can't blast our way through, that's for sure."

"Maybe I can transmit?" Goku suggested.

"I doubt it, Dad, but you can try," Goten said. So Goku did try- but it didn't work.

"He just thought of everything, didn't he?"

"We'll just have to try something else," Brian said.

The drones carried a struggling Adrienne down the dark hallway to a room with hardly any light at all. "Let me go, you piece of junk!" she cried, kicking her foot as hard as she could. It was no use. Still, she struggled as they dropped her into a large metal box and shut the lid. It was pitch-black inside, but Adrienne didn't need to see to know that the walls were closing in around her. The box was alive! She could feel the thick metal engulfing her body. It was like a liquid, and yet it was very much a solid. She pushed against the encroaching walls, but the harder she pushed, the harder they pushed back. She screamed as the liquid-metal surrounded her and pressed against her body. "Goten!"

Goten's ears pricked. Had he heard Adrienne calling him just now?

"What is it, Dad?" Goten shook his head.

"Nothing, Jamie." He stood up and glared at the wall. "I have to get out of this cell!"

"We'll get out, Dad," Jamie reassured him. "And we'll save Mom and Ri!"

"I know."

"Hey, Goten!" Goku called through the vent.

"Yeah?"

"Are you bored?" Goten thought about it for a minute.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"How about a round of our favorite song?" Goten grinned.

"Sure, why not?" In their separate cells, Vegeta and Trunks' eyes went wide. Not the song! The way off-key singing was bad enough, but not-

"John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt! His name is my name too!" Both Saiyans sang. Trunks whined pitifully and curled up into a little ball on the floor. Brian plugged his ears and began to beat his head against the wall. Darrin and Leah groaned and leaned back against the walls of their cell.

"Hey, Jamie, sing along!" Goku called. "Whenever we go out!"

"The people always shout: JOHN JACOB JINGLEHEIMER SCHMIDT! DADA DADA DADA DA!"

"SHUT UP!!!!!!!" Vegeta yelled at the top of his lungs. Everyone froze. "THAT'S ENOUGH! I CAN'T _TAKE IT ANYMORE!!"_

"But we only sang it through one time," Goku protested.

"Once is one time too many," Trunks muttered under his breath.

"We are _not_ going to get out of here singing a _children's song_!!!!" The group was silent for a minute.

"…Maybe we can break the walls down with the vibrations in our voices like Pic-!"

"_NO_!" Everyone screamed together. Goku crossed his arms.

"Everyone's a critic."

Rienna walked down the hall, alone, and thought about the last few moments of her life. She'd met her father, and a lot of her family, too, and they wanted her back. They claimed they were such a loving family, and they did seem to be… But no, her family had abandoned her as a child. What did they want with her now? There was still a shadow of doubt tugging at her heart. Why, when she looked in her brother's eyes, why did she suddenly have all those memories that were supposed to have never existed? Memories of cookies, and Christmas parties, and basketball games… How could she remember such things if she never knew her family? Rienna shook her head. It was all so confusing. 

"Maybe I'll go talk to Ruben," she told herself. "He'll know what to do." After all, Ruben had been the one to take her in when no one else wanted her, right? He wouldn't lie to her. He was a father to her- the father she never knew. And Aedan was her older brother. Or was he? Lately, there had been something else, some other feeling toward him that she hadn't felt before toward anyone. Life was changing so much these days… Rienna sighed. She just wanted to go home and spend time with her family, her real family. She could play with Jeremy, Aedan's six-year-old brother, in the backyard, and Mrs. Kinamora could make cupcakes for them all. Or maybe they could go out for ice cream… Ri smiled. Now she was letting her imagination get the best of her. The family hadn't gotten together for several weeks now. Ruben was even beginning to distance himself from her and Aedan. Maybe visiting him right now wasn't such a good idea. Rienna turned the corner and headed for her temporary bedroom. "I'll just lay down for a while," she said, opening the door and walking into the room. "I need a nap…"

"Everything is right on schedule," Aaron said gleefully. "Adrienne is safely away, I have Vegeta and rest of those idiots in my hands, and the formula is almost complete!" Ruben nodded.

"All our work has finally paid off."

"Yes it has," Aaron said, holding up a vial of bubbling pale blue liquid and staring at it excitedly. "I can't believe we're so close! I'll finally have my revenge on Vegeta and the rest of the world!" Aaron laughed. "And what's more, no one will ever see it coming!"

"Yes, this has really been a thrilling project."

"Are you kidding? This is so perfectly corrupt that only I could think of it! Of course it's been thrilling!"

"You're right, I'm sorry," Ruben said.

"Well, should we test it?" Aaron asked, holding the vial up again and admiring his handiwork.

"Not quite," Ruben said quickly. "There's still one, uh, minor problem."

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked sternly, putting down the vial.

"Uh, it, uh… The, uh, anti-Saiyan gene isn't, er, fully developed. Give it about two hours and it should be done."

"Hm… very well. Make sure it's done in two hours."

"Yes sir." Aaron left, and Ruben quickly switched the vial with another one, almost identical to the original. "There. Now if I can just find Ri…"

Brian began to pace in front of his father, an impatient glare in his eyes. "If we don't get out of here soon, I'm going to go crazy!" he yelled, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. Trunks stared past him at the wall, deep in thought, and didn't respond. "I mean, if we can't get out, and Ri's on the outside, then there's a little bit of a problem, wouldn't you say?! Dad?" Brian stopped pacing and stared at his father. "Dad? Da-ad. Hello? Earth to Dad!" Trunks seemed to ignore him. "Ugh! Fine!" Brian stomped over to the nearest wall and dropped down with a thud on the floor. He leaned his head back and rested it on the cool metal behind him. He sighed.

"Hey Jamie?" he yelled without shifting at all.

"Yeah?"

"Are you going insane over there, or am I the only one?"

"I think Grandpa is…"

"Which one?"

"Oh, right. Vegeta," Jamie said, almost laughing. "I think Goku's driving him crazy."

"At least I'm not alone." Jamie laughed.

"Yeah, we'll probably join you sooner or later."

"Probably." Brian paused. "Hey, I haven't heard anything out of Leah or Darrin for a while, have you?"

"Nah," Jamie said. He stood up in his cell and walked over to the vent. "Hey, Leah!" he called, cupping his hands over his mouth.

"She's asleep," came Darrin's reply. 

"Oh, really?"

"Mm hm."

"Did she fall asleep herself or did she pass out because you squeezed her too tight?"

"Very funny."

"_Snuggly_ soft!" Jamie and Brian teased.

"Shut up!" They both started snickering. "And for your information, she *_is_*."

The two went silent. 

"Darrin, you blasted little-" Vegeta started.

"KIDDING!!"

"Hey, Dad?" Trunks asked suddenly.

"What?!" Vegeta snapped.

"What happened when you fired that blast earlier?"

"WHY?!"

"It bounced off the wall and hit him in the face," Goku said plainly. Vegeta growled and glared at Goku.

"That's what I thought," Trunks said. "Did you try aiming for the wall dead on, or were you at an angle?"

"I don't know!" Vegeta shouted. "Am I supposed to?!"

"I think he was at an angle," Goku suggested.

"Uh _huh_…" Trunks stood up and walked over to one of the walls.

"What's up, Dad? Got a plan?"

"I think so…" Trunks walked back to the opposite wall, then turned around and examined the path he'd taken. "You think that's straight?"

"Uh… yeah, I guess," Brian said. "Why?"

"You'll see." Trunks went into one of his fighting poses. "Stand back."

"Dad, what are you-"

"HA!" Trunks blew a large Ki blast at the wall opposite him, and immediately jumped out of the way as the blast reflected off one wall and bounced back at him.

"Dad, are you _nuts_?! I coulda told you it was going to bounce off!"

"I know," Trunks said. "I was counting on that."

"What?" Brian watched the ball of energy as it bounced back and forth.

"If it bounces in the same place enough times, it'll weaken the wall and eventually break through it."

"Oh, I get it. But what if the blast doesn't last that long?" Trunks grinned.

"We make another one." Brian grinned back.

"Alright!"

Aaron calmly walked into what he called the "guest room" and over to a box of liquid metal. "Hello, Adrienne," he said to the box. Inside, Adrienne stopped squirming and listened. "I know you can hear me, even though I can't hear you." Adrienne glared in the direction of his voice. There was no use shouting at him, if he couldn't hear her. "I see my special cell has done its work. Wonderful, isn't it? You can breathe, and move- well, a little." At this point he laughed and she narrowed her eyes. "However, you can't move through it, or transmit out of it. It's the perfect place for your protection." 

Protection? What did he mean? What was he protecting her from? Aaron continued. "Once the virus has died down, I'll let you out, and you'll be free to do whatever you want." Virus? Free? Adrienne listened harder. "Of course, by then, it'll be just you and me."

"What are you talking about?!" Adrienne yelled, forgetting that her voice couldn't penetrate the metal surrounding her.

"Just you and me," Aaron repeated. "I can't wait to see the look on Vegeta's face when his whole family is destroyed before his own, weak eyes." Aaron chuckled. "And he'll be helpless to do anything!" Aaron turned around. "Good-bye, Adrienne," he said. "Don't worry, it'll all be over in an hour. And I mean _all_." His chuckle turned into a laugh as he left the room.

What in the world was he talking about? Did this have something to do with that virus? Adrienne tried to gather enough energy to push the liquid far enough away from the top latch to escape, but it was no use. She had to get out of here! The fate of the world would be decided in one hour and she wouldn't be there to hear the final ruling. A frustrated tear slid down her cheek as she sat there, helpless. "Goten, where are you? Leah, Jamie! Goten!" She called out, but there was no answer. "Help me…"

A small explosion blew a hole through the cell wall, and Leah and Darrin ran out through it. "Great idea, Dad! I never would have thought of that!" Brian exclaimed, patting his father on the back. Trunks smiled.

"When your mom's a genius, you're bound to be at least _half_-genius."

"But wouldn't Vegeta's half cancel that out?" Goku asked with a grin. Vegeta growled at him and clenched his fists.

"Alright, Kakarott, that does it!" he declared. "You've gone too far this time! You want a fight?! Well you've got one!"

"Dad!" Trunks groaned. Goku shook his head.

"I don't want to fight you, Vegeta. C'mon, we have to find Adrienne and Rienna and get out of here." Vegeta sighed in frustration and crossed his arms.

"Fine! But only for Adrienne!" Goku smiled.

"Good."

"Well, now that we've got that settled, what do we do?" Darrin asked.

"Yeah," Jamie said. "We don't know where to start looking!"

"Where do we start?" Leah asked. "This place is huge!"

"I guess we just have to split up," Goten said. "One group looks for Adrienne, and the other for Ri."

"Suppose you're right, Goten, but who goes where?"

"Well, I'm looking for Adrienne," Vegeta said.

"We figured," Trunks and Brian chorused. Vegeta narrowed his eyes at them.

"And obviously, Trunks and Brian are going after Ri, right, guys?" asked Goten. Trunks nodded solemnly.

"You bet."

"Alright, that leaves the five of us," Darrin said.

"Well, I want to go look for Mom," Leah said.

"Me too," said Jamie. "Uh, no offense, Uncle Trunks." Trunks smiled.

"That's ok, I understand. I wish we could come, too." Brian nodded.

"Yeah."

"Then it's us left," Goku said. "I guess I'll go wherever I'm needed."

"Me too," Darrin said. 

"Well, Goten?" Goku asked his son. Goten frowned. He didn't want to leave his best friend hanging, but what about Adrienne?

"Go on, Goten," Trunks said. "I know you want to."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Go find my sister." Goten nodded and smiled.

"Will do."

"Then how about you and I go with Trunks?" Goku asked Darrin. He nodded in response.

"Sounds good to me."

"Alright, let's go!" Brian exclaimed.

"You sure you're gonna be ok?" Goten asked.

"Would you go already?! We'll be fine!" Trunks exclaimed. "Jeez! I mean, c'mon! We've got me, your dad, Darrin, and Brian! What could happen?" Goten smirked.

"Where have I heard that before?"

"Hey!" Goten laughed.

"Ok, I'm convinced." He looked the group over. "Well, sort of."

"GOTEN!"

"Alright, alright! I'm going!"

"Better be," Trunks said, crossing his arms.

"C'mon, Dad!" Leah called. "We gotta find Mom!"

"Coming!" Goku laughed.

"I don't remember him giving anyone that much trouble when he was a kid."

"Hanging out with my Dad too long," Brian said matter-of-factly.

"Brian Alex-"

"Just kidding!" Brian started off down the hall. "Jeez, some people just can't take a joke."

"Hey, I can take a joke!" Trunks protested. "And I can dish out a pretty mean one, too!" Goku laughed as they disappeared down the hallway.

"Trunks hasn't changed one bit."

"What do you mean?" Darrin asked.

"He's still the little kid I used to know."

"Rienna, time to get up!" called a bright, female voice. A little boy's followed it.

"Yeah, Ri, you gotta get up! We gotta go to school!"

"Rienna Morgan, you get up _right now or you'll miss the bus!"_

"Ri, come _on_!"

"Huh?" Rienna opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. "Hm… must have been a dream." She sat up and looked at her watch: 6:30 PM. "Huh… sure didn't sleep long." Rienna stretched her arms and while she was, she noticed her hand was still red where her would-be father had stopped her punch earlier. That Trunks guy had quite a grip. Ri shook her head. She was glad she didn't have to deal with that again. Someone knocked lightly on her door.

"Rienna, are you awake?"

"Yeah. Come on in, Ruben." The door opened and Ruben walked into the room. "What's up?"

"Bad news," he said, sitting down on the bed next to her. "The prisoners have escaped."

"WHAT?! You're joking, right!?" Ruben shook his head.

"Afraid not. Just thought I'd tell you to be on the lookout." Rienna nodded.

"I will. And thanks."

"No problem."

"Hey, uh, Ruben, there's something-"

"Ruben, report to the lab immediately." Ruben sighed.

"I guess it'll have to wait," he said sadly.

"That's ok. It… it wasn't that important anyway."

"Ok." Ruben stood up. "Guess I'd better go."

"Guess you should." Ruben smiled.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Aedan and Jaerie should be back soon. I told them to be back by 5:00."

"Oh, good!" That would give her someone else to talk to. Of course, she didn't see why Ruben had told her to stay in the first place, but that was ok. "See ya later, then."

"Later." Rienna watched as he left the room, then sighed.

"So much for that."

"Are you sure we're going the right way, Dad?" Brian asked.

"No," Trunks said plainly.

"Then how do we know we are?"

"We don't."

"But Dad-"

"Brian!" Trunks yelled in frustration. Darrin and Goku stopped behind them and stared. "Look, I'm just as anxious as you are, but we can't worry about every little thing that we run into! We just have to try our best and do what we can!" Brian hung his head.

"I'm sorry, Dad," he said quietly. "I guess I'm just a little worried. I mean, I haven't seen her in so long, and last time we got thrown in a cell, and I don't know if she's ever going to come back, and…" Brian gulped and held back tears. "And I don't wanna lose her again…" Trunks' expression softened and he put his hand on Brian's shoulder.

"I know, and I don't either. We're going to get her back," he said, though he was unsure of it himself. What if Brian was right, and she didn't come back? Why did she hate them so much?

"Hey, guys, I think someone's coming!" Goku said suddenly. A faint shadow was moving along the wall of the corridor that crossed theirs.

"Quick, hide!" Trunks hissed. Everyone dashed into the nearest room and peered through the shutters on the window. They could hear the person humming as they rounded the corner. Brian gasped.

"Ri!"

"Guess we were going the right way, after all," Darrin said.

"Definitely in this wing," Vegeta said, scanning the walls for any doors.

"Yeah," Jamie said. Goten nodded.

"I can feel her," Leah said. "She's definitely close."

"At least we're going in the right direction."

"Yeah."

"One thing bothers me, though. Why does he want her this time?" Goten asked. Vegeta growled.

"I don't know, and I don't care. I just want to get her out of here." Goten nodded.

"Me too."

As soon as Rienna rounded the next corner, the four Saiyans crept out of the empty lab room. "C'mon, let's follow her," Darrin said. "See where she goes." Trunks nodded.

"Yeah." The four of them tiptoed down the hall after her. She rounded yet another corner and walked into a room through a set of swinging double doors.

"C'mon!" Brian said, walking ahead of the group.

"Brian, wait!" Goku whispered. But he'd already gone through.

"Huh?" they heard him say. "Where'd she go?"

"What?" Trunks pushed the doors open and ran inside, the others following. The room turned out to be a large auditorium. The ceiling had to be at least 30 feet up.

"She's gone!" Brian exclaimed. "Just disappeared!"

"No she's not," Darrin said. "She's here, alright. I can sense her."

"Good to see there's still a Saiyan left with sense," Rienna said from above. They all looked up and found she was floating almost directly above them. "I see you found your way out."

"Wasn't too hard," Goku said.

"Ha! Took you long enough. Ruben told me you'd escape sooner or later."

"Ruben?" Trunks asked. "Who's Ruben?"

"My father," Rienna said haughtily.

"Rienna, I'm you're-"

"No, you're not," Rienna said sternly. "And nothing you say can make me think otherwise."

"Rienna, please, just hear us out," Darrin said.

"No, _you_ listen! Since before I can remember I've lived with the Kinamoras because someone decided that they didn't want a stupid little girl!" she exclaimed with tears in her eyes. "I was probably just another mouth to feed for them, but Ruben brought me home with him one day and since then I've been happy! I have a family, and I don't need you to mess things up for me! So leave me alone!"

"That's not true!" Brian yelled. "That's not true at all! We love you, Ri! _I_ love you!"

"You're not gonna trick me with your little mind games anymore!" she shouted at him. "How can you abandon me and then try and take me back!?"

"We didn't abandon you, Rienna!" Darrin yelled. "You were taken from us! I know, I was there!" Rienna shook her head.

"No! That isn't true!"

"Yes it is!"

"Enough!" Rienna said, clenching her fists. "I'm not going to listen to your lies!"

"They're not lies," Trunks said. "Your name is Rienna Morgan Briefs. You were born December 22, three days after your mother's birthday. Your favorite color is green, but blue's nice too." Rienna narrowed her eyes. "You like to fight, and a good argument, but you get along well with people. And you like to sing in the shower," Trunks added with a grin. Rienna's face went red.

"H-how did you-"

"If we had really abandoned you, do you really think we'd remember stuff like that?"

"…L-lucky guess."

"Rienna…"

"Huh?" Rienna spun around in midair. Ruben was standing behind her. Darrin clenched his fists and glared.

"YOU!" he cried angrily.

"WHAT??" the other three exclaimed.

"You're-"

"Yes, it's me," Ruben said. "I wasn't sure if you'd remember."

"I'd never forget your ugly face, you jerk!" Darrin said arrogantly.

"What are you talking about?!" Brian exclaimed.

"He's the moron that took Rienna in the first place!"

"WHAT?!?!" Trunks, Goku, Brian, and Rienna shouted together.

"You dirty-"

"Ruben!" Rienna yelled accusingly. "What is he talking about?!" Ruben closed his eyes.

"I didn't have a choice." Rienna gasped.

"No…" She slowly drifted down and landed softly on the floor. She stared at the floor thoughtfully. "How… can this… be…?" Ruben didn't answer. Instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring on a chain.

"Ruben is that formula-" Aaron stopped when he found the lab empty. He narrowed his eyes. "Hmm…" Aaron stood there for a moment, then disappeared.

Trunks narrowed his eyes. "Where did you get that?"

"We found it on her when I first brought her here," Ruben answered. "It belonged to her mother, am I correct?" Trunks narrowed his eyes even more.

"How did you know that?" Ruben didn't answer right away. "What do you know about Chloe?! Hey, I'm talking to you!" Ruben shook his head.

"I'm sorry. For everything."

"That doesn't answer my question!"

"…It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does!" Trunks shouted angrily. Rienna stared at the ring in Ruben's hand.

"Mom…"

"Huh?" Everyone stared at her as she stepped closer and picked up the ring. 

"I… I remember, now… The Christmas party… everyone was there. We… made cookies… with Adrienne…" Ruben nodded.

"Try to remember."

"Mom… died…" Rienna looked over at Trunks. "And Dad gave me this ring." Trunks stared back at his daughter.

"You remember!" Brian exclaimed happily.

"Brian… I remember you the most." Brian smiled.

"I'm not an easy person to forget," he said. Rienna smiled, and a tear fell down her cheek. She continued. 

"I remember falling asleep on the couch next to you… after Dad left." Brian nodded.

"Yeah."

"You were so warm…" Rienna stared at him as those forgotten memories came back to her. She remembered how no matter how much they fought, that Brian always stuck up for her. Tears filled her eyes and her lip began to tremble as she stared into his bright blue eyes. "Oh, Brian!" She almost fell into his arms and hugged him. At first it stunned him, but he quickly overcame his shock and hugged her back.

"Hey, it's ok," he said, ruffling her short hair.

"Good thing it's not as permanent as 'he' thought," Ruben said to himself.

"What?" Rienna asked, letting go of her brother and turning to face him.

"What do you mean?" Darrin asked.

"Memory composition. Creating memories that were never there to replace the real ones. It's not as effective as Aaron thought."

"You mean you erased her memory?!" Brian exclaimed.

"Calm down, I didn't erase it," he said. "As you can see, I just covered it up."

"Ruben…" Rienna said softly. "Why-" He closed his eyes.

"He was going to kill you," Ruben said. "It was to save your life…" He looked up at her. "I'm sorry." 

"Someone explain to me what's going on here," Goku said. "Why did you take Rienna in the first place?"

"That's a good question," Ruben said.

"She's unquestionably closer, now," Goten said. "I'm sure we're going the right way."

"We have to be," Leah said. "I can't imagine what would happen if…"

"Don't talk like that," Vegeta said quietly. He didn't want to think about what would happen if they didn't find her. Why had Aaron taken her, anyway? Maybe he needed her to power some new machine of his. Or maybe it was just for revenge on Vegeta. He shook his head. "Don't talk like that," he repeated to himself.

"When did this all start?" Ruben asked himself. "Well, let me see. I guess it's best if I tell you the whole story."

"That would be a good place to start," Trunks said. Ruben nodded.

"Yes. Ok, hm… I suppose it all started when I was born." He began to pace in front of them. "I never knew my father. My mother told me his name was… oh, darn, what was his name…? Raditz!"

"RADITZ?!" Goku nearly had a heart attack. "You've gotta be joking!"

"You can't be serious!" Trunks exclaimed. Ruben frowned.

"You… know him?"

"Know him?! He's my half-brother!" It was Ruben's turn to be shocked.

"WHAT?!"

"Whoa, how weird is _that?" Brian asked._

"Then you're… Goku?" Goku nodded.

"You betcha." Ruben shook his head.

"This is… so… strange. Aaron told me about you. When I first met him."

"You know Raditz is dead, then?" Ruben nodded.

"Yes."

"If you don't mind me asking," Goku said, "how did it happen?" Ruben sighed.

"My mom was young and ignorant, and he tricked her into it. Then he disappeared, and my mother never saw him again. Of course, then I was born."

"Oh…"

"I suppose that makes sense," Darrin said.

"So I grew up, with just my mom. I got married, found a job at one of the Capsule Corp. factories, and later had my son, Aedan."

"Aedan…" Rienna repeated softly.

"Soon after, I was visited at work by a man who, though he was much older than I was, didn't seem to be aging at all. He told me the history of Saiyans, and told me my own history. At first I didn't believe him, but he soon proved me wrong. So he invites me to join him in a plan to take revenge on another Saiyan named Vegeta by completely devastating the planet. Of course I refused, but when he threatened to kill my family, I had no choice but to join him."

"What do you mean, devastate the planet?" Trunks asked.

"The virus…" Rienna whispered.

"What? Rienna, do you know what he's talking about?" Brian asked her. She nodded.

"It was Aaron's plan… to cripple the entire planet through a disease he calls The Syndrome. There would be none to resist him, because all people would be helpless to do anything. Aaron insisted on testing the formula, and it worked… a little too well. He had lied to me: he didn't want to cripple the planet, he wanted to kill it. The experiment succeeded, relieving the world of a certain young woman named Chloe Briefs. I believe you know her." 

"Chloe…!" Trunks clenched his fists. "So that's what happened…" He glared at the floor as he mentally relived the night his wife had died.

"How could you do that?!" Brian cried.

"I had no choice. My family-"

"So it's ok to kill someone else's wife to save your own?!" Trunks shouted angrily.

"That's not what I'm saying. I'm sorry I ever got involved."

"You'd better be!" Brian exclaimed. 

"Do you know the pain you've put my family through?!" Trunks yelled.

"I'm sorry… I couldn't… I don't… know…" Rienna looked down at the ring in her hand.

"Hey, Rienna-" Darrin said, noticing her thoughtful silence.

"Mom…" she said quietly. "This is all Aaron's fault…" She narrowed her eyes. "All his fault…"

"So why did Aaron need Rienna?" Ruben tried to ignore Trunks' piercing glare and continued with his story.

"There was just one problem with the formula: it wouldn't affect Saiyans, the ones he wanted to bring down the most. He needed a special kind of Saiyan cell to make effective, a cell that makes up part of a young Saiyan's immune system. But the only Saiyans he could find were too old. Once a Saiyan reaches the age of 7, that cell deteriorates."

"That's why he needed me," Rienna said, looking down at her hand. "I was the only one young enough." Ruben nodded.

"Afraid so."

"So you kill my wife, kidnap my daughter, and then try to destroy all life on the planet!?" shouted Trunks.

"Dad…" Rienna's eyes filled with tears.

"Yes, but-"

"But nothing! You are the most inconsiderate, dirty jackas-"

"Dad, stop it!" Rienna shrieked. Her body was trembling and tears streamed down her face. "Just stop it…"

"No, Rienna, it's alr-" Ruben was interrupted by her protests.

"No it's not, Ruben! This isn't his fault, Dad! Yeah, what he did was wrong, but he didn't have a choice! And you would have done the same thing!" Brian thought about what she was saying. _Would his dad have done the same thing? "Aaron is the one behind it all, don't you see?! And I owe Ruben. A lot. In fact, if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be standing here right now!" Trunks stared at his daughter in disbelief._

"But Rienna, he-"

"I know what he did, Dad, and I don't want to hear it! And I'm sure he doesn't want it repeated. What's done is done, and we can't change it." A long silence followed her statement. Brian finally put his hand on her shoulder.

"Alright, Ri. We give."

"I'm not going to say you've been forgiven, but for now… thanks," Trunks said. Ruben shook his head.

"Don't thank me. I've hurt your family so much."

"Yeah, you have." Trunks turned his back on him.

"Dad…" Rienna looked after him sorrowfully.

"So what do we do now?" Darrin asked.

"Obviously, we have to stop Aaron and free my sister," Trunks said, crossing his arms.

"Adrienne? I can take you to her."

"You won't be going anywhere, traitor!"

"Aaron!" Goku exclaimed.

"Hey, Aedan!" Aedan rolled his eyes and turned around.

"What? AH!" Aedan reflected her energy blast and glared at her. "What was that about?!" Jaerie grinned.

"Just seeing if you were on your toes."

"Uh huh." She had been flirting with him since they arrived at the field, and he was getting tired of it. "Hey," he said, looking at his watch, "shouldn't we be heading back? Dad said to be back by 5:00." Jaerie flew over to him and smiled.

"Forget what your dad said, Aedan. C'mon," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him closer, "live a little." Aedan pulled away from her.

"No, he'll be looking for us. We shouldn't keep him waiting."

"Don't you want to spend more time with me?" she asked.

"It's not that, Jaer, it's just-"

"Oh, I get it now," Jaerie said, crossing her arms. "You have to get back to little miss Ri." Aedan's face went pink.

"N-no, I just-"

"Listen, Aedan, she's nothing but trouble for a guy like you. She's too… bright."

"What are you talking about? She's been my friend for years, and never done me wrong."

"Alright, have it your way," Jaerie said, turning around. "But remember, even the moon has a dark side."

"What?" Jaerie sighed in frustration.

"Never mind! Let's just get out of here. I was getting tired of blowing up hay bales anyway."

_*Yes!* Aedan thought. Maybe there was hope after all…_

"Hey, someone help me find the light switch in here!" Jamie called from one of the dark labs. "I can't seem to find it myself!"

"Sure, Jamie," Goten said. He and his son searched the walls in the darkness until: "Hey, here it is!" Goten flipped the switch and the bright overhead lights snapped on. Both of them shielded their eyes as they slowly became accustomed to the light.

"Hey, where'd you guys go?" Leah walked into the room and found them both standing there. "Hey, you ok?"

"Yeah, gimme a second," Goten said.

"Those lights are bright!" Jamie exclaimed, finally putting down his arm. He began to look around the room. "What's _that_?!" He pointed to a large clear box with squirming black goo inside.

"I dunno…" Leah admitted.

"Where is everyone?" Vegeta growled from outside. "Jeez, I leave them alone for a second and-"

"In here, Vegeta," Goten called. Vegeta stuck his head inside the door and frowned.

"I can't leave you alone for one minute, can I?!"

"Grandpa, what do you think it is?" Jamie asked.

"What?" Vegeta looked up at the box. "We found her!"

"Huh??" Jamie and Leah gasped.

"Mom's in there!?"

"She can't be!"

_*Adrienne… I knew you were close…* Goten thought. "Adrienne! Adrienne, can you hear me? It's me!"_

Inside, Adrienne woke up from her deep sleep. "Huh?"

"Adrienne!" Vegeta yelled.

"Dad! Goten!" Adrienne shouted.

"Maybe she can't hear us," Jamie said.

"Jamie!"

"Or maybe she can, but we can't hear her!" Leah suggested. Vegeta walked up to the box and examined it.

"There's a latch on the lid, but it's an electronic lock. And I don't dare try to blast it…"

"Yeah, we might hurt Mom," Jamie said.

"There has to be a code hidden around here somewhere… Maybe it's stored in one of these computers," Goten said.

"But there are so many!" Leah exclaimed.

"How do we know when we find it?" Jamie asked.

"We just have to try and see." Vegeta growled.

"We don't have time for this!"

"But Grandpa-"

"My daughter's in there, and I'm not going to waste my time look for a stupid code! Adrienne!" Inside, Adrienne struggled to let them know somehow that she could hear them. She finally gathered enough strength and thrust her hand through the goo and against the box's side in Vegeta's direction. "Huh? It's Adrienne!" Vegeta pressed his hand against hers. "We're gonna get you out, Adrienne! I promise!" Adrienne balled her hand into a thumb's-up. Vegeta smiled. "That's my girl." Adrienne smiled. She knew they'd find a way.

"Aaron!" Ruben exclaimed. "I'm no traitor! I was never with you in the first place!"

"Fool! You should have been! Now you're going to pay, and when I'm through with you, I'm going to kill your son!"

"You leave Aedan out of this!" Rienna screamed. Aaron smirked.

"Ah yes, the real traitor. I always knew you'd turn on me someday."

"I was wrong to ever believe you in the first place!" she yelled back at him.

"Hmph. I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"You won't be killing anyone today, Aaron!" Goku shouted, going into his fighting stance.

"Yeah!" Darrin said, also going into his fighting pose.

"We're gonna kick your butt!" Brian yelled.

"Are you, now? Well there's something I'd buy tickets for," Aaron said.

"Aaron, you've taken my sister, tried to kill my father, murdered my wife and brainwashed my daughter! Now you've got to deal with me!" Trunks declared angrily. Aaron laughed.

"Well, now, that's not much of a challenge. But if you insist…" He snapped his fingers, and suddenly both Darrin and Goku heard an awful high-pitched noise. They both clutched their heads in pain and passed out on the floor.

"What did you do to them?!" Ruben demanded.

"I want this to be between the five of us. Those two are no concern of mine, and would only get in the way." Trunks, Brian, and Rienna went into their fighting poses.

"Alright then," Brian said, "bring it on!"

Wheeeeeee!!! Moving right along, aren't we? *grins REALLY wide* I can't believe how fast this is moving! Ha ha! I'm so proud of myself. I don't think I've ever made it this far into a story before. *remembers DF and NF, her GW and Digi fics that she has left to die* ...*ahem* THIS ONE'S DIFFERENT!!! ^^; So, please r/r. The more motivation I get, the more I write! ~_^


	6. Fighting a Losing Battle

Syndrome

DISCLAIMER: I do *_not_* own DBZ (Hee hee…. _Yet_… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!

. : : Chapter 6 : Fighting A Losing Battle : : .

"Ahhh!!" Before she knew what was happening, Rienna was sent flying into the wall behind her.

"Ri!" Brian cried.

"Look out!" Trunks yelled. Brian ducked just in time to miss Aaron's high-kick, but Aaron punched him in the stomach to make up for his previous mistake. Brian doubled over in pain, and Aaron kicked him into the wall opposite Rienna. Trunks narrowed his eyes and lunged at Aaron, and both of them began to fight one-on-one. They took off into the air, leaving a small crater where they had been standing. Rienna shook her head and recovered from her earlier blow. She peeled herself off the wall and ran beside Ruben, who was watching the fight.

"Dad!" she called. Brian slowly stood up, his hand on his stomach.

"This is gonna hurt in the morning," he said to himself. He slowly walked over to the other two and looked up at the fight above.

"Hey, are you alright?" Ruben asked him. Brian smiled wryly.

"Yeah, nothin' I can't handle." Trunks managed to punch Aaron in the face, and Aaron, stunned, flew backwards a step or two. Trunks took the opportunity to kick him across the room. Aaron hit the wall and grunted, and actually fell a few feet before he recovered and flew at Trunks. Aaron disappeared right before making contact with Trunks, and, reappearing behind him, kicked him down into the floor.

"Dad!" Brian cried. Trunks groaned and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. He was about to get up when Aaron flew down and slammed his knee into Trunks' back. Ruben narrowed his eyes. He had to do something! Before Aaron realized what had happened, Ruben had blasted him with a large energy ball. Aaron pushed himself up off his back and glared as his former accomplice.

"You'll pay for that, Kinamora!" Aaron lunged at him, and both men began to fight. Rienna and Brian rushed over to their father.

"Dad, Dad, are you ok?!" Brian inquired.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Trunks groaned. Rienna grabbed his arm and helped him up. "Thanks, Ri." She nodded and smiled, relieved to find him still breathing.

"Sure."

"Your friend's got some guts," Trunks said. "You two stay here, I've gotta go help him."

"Wait!"

"Dad!" Trunks went Super Saiyan and flew off to join the fight. Brian clenched his fists.

"Well I'm going after him!"

"Brian-" Brian also went Super Saiyan.

"I can't just stay here!" Brian protested. "Besides, they need me!"

"Well then I'm coming too." Brian frowned. "Hey, if you can go, I can!"

"…Fine. Let's go!" Rienna smiled and went Super Saiyan as well.

"'Bout time you saw things my way."

"Darn it, how long is this going to take!?" Vegeta asked impatiently.

"I don't know, Vegeta. It could take days."

"DAYS?! We don't have that kind of time!!" Vegeta went back to pacing. "There has to be a way to speed this up!"

"What exactly are we looking for, anyway, some kind of key code?" Jamie asked. He and Leah were searching desks and papers in the lab. Goten nodded.

"Yeah."

"1962…"

"What?"

"The code's 1962!" Vegeta repeated. He flew to the box and punched in the code. Immediately, the goo drew away from Adrienne and solidified against the walls. She was left sitting on the floor, staring up at the light in a daze. She shielded her eyes against the light, since she had become accustomed to the darkness of her cell. "Adrienne!"

"Dad?" Adrienne's eyes finally adjusted and she saw him there, standing above her. "Dad!" Adrienne jumped up and hugged her father.

"Mom!" Jamie and Leah cried. They and Goten rushed over to the box. Adrienne turned around and smiled.

"Hi, guys!"

"Adrienne, you're ok!" Goten exclaimed.

"'Course I am!" she said cheerfully. "You forget who you're talking to." Goten smiled.

"Of course. I forgot." Vegeta helped her out of the box, and she jumped down to the floor. Goten gave her a huge hug. "I'm glad you're alright."

"I knew you'd come for me," she whispered in his ear. Goten smiled and held her away from him so he could look her in the face.

"You think I'd leave you?" Adrienne shook her head and smiled.

"Never." She turned to her two children. "Are you two ok?"

"Yeah, we're fine mom," Leah said.

"We were worried!" Jamie exclaimed. "I'm glad Grandpa figured out the code."

"Yeah," Goten said, turning to his father-in-law. "How'd you know that, anyway?"

"It's the year Lita was born," Vegeta said matter-of-factly.

"Oh."

"Good guess, Dad" Adrienne said. Vegeta smirked.

"It was more of an educated assumption, but I'll take it."

"Where are the others?" Adrienne asked. "I just realized they aren't here."

"They're trying to find Rienna," Goten said.

"We should go find them," Leah said. "They might need our help!" Adrienne nodded.

"Knowing my brother…"

"Then let's get going!" Jamie cheered. Goten and Adrienne looked at each other and smiled.

"Hey Dad?" Adrienne asked.

"What?"

"Race ya."

"I knew you'd betray me someday!" Aaron yelled, blocking one of Ruben's punches.

"If you know, why'd you recruit me in the first place?" Ruben asked with a smirk. Aaron took a swing at Ruben's face, but Ruben blocked it and they both flew away from each other. They stared at each other, breathing heavily and wiping the sweat from their foreheads. Trunks zoomed up and arrived next to Ruben's side.

"You can go Super Saiyan!?" Ruben exclaimed.

"Since I was little," Trunks said proudly. "But never mind that. Are you ok?" he asked. Ruben nodded.

"I'm fine. Where're your kids?"

"I told them to stay put." Ruben smiled.

"You know they won't stay for long," he said. Trunks smiled as well.

"Yeah. Guess they take after me." Sure enough, Brian and Rienna appeared beside them.

"You two can too!?" Ruben exclaimed.

"Sure," Trunks said. "You just have to gather up enough energy."

"Going Super Saiyan is a waste of time," Aaron said haughtily. "I'll kill you all anyway." He turned to Ruben. "As for you, I'm going to send you to see Jessica," Aaron said with a smirk. "And what was the little boy's name?" Ruben narrowed his eyes.

"Jeremy!" Ruben shouted. "His name is Jeremy, and don't you forget it!"

"Ah, yes, Jeremy. It's important I keep track of the people I destroy." Rienna gasped.

"Y-y-y-y-y-you killed them!?" Aaron laughed.

"You didn't know?" He laughed again and turned to Ruben. "Have you been hiding it all this time?"

"You and Aedan weren't supposed to know," Ruben said quietly. "I was waiting for the right time to tell you."

"So Jeremy… Jessica…" Ruben nodded. "Why?"

"I felt Ruben needed a little reminding as to who's in charge." Rienna narrowed her eyes.

"So you killed them…"

"That's the way I work. Don't like it, then tough."

"Jeremy was like my little brother…" She clenched her fists. "No matter what I do, everyone I love keeps getting hurt!" Her eyes flashed with anger. "I hate you!" Before anyone could stop her, Rienna had rammed Aaron into a wall at her full speed. Dust flew everywhere, and for a minute, Rienna couldn't even see through it. Suddenly, Aaron laughed: he was behind her.

"Ri, look out!" Brian shouted. She whirled around, and Aaron grabbed her by the throat.

"I'll kill you first," he said, his eyes filled with hatred as she gasped for breath. "And then I'll kill your little boyfriend and his dad, and then-"

"Let her go!" Brian screamed. He lunged at Aaron and knocked Rienna out of his grip. She fell to the floor several feet below and landed with a dull thud. Aaron swung around and belted Brian backwards. Trunks caught and steadied him.

"You ok?"

"Yeah., but-"

"I know. You go get her, Ruben and I can take him." Brian nodded and flew down to his sister. Trunks watched as he landed next to her, then narrowed his eyes at Aaron.

"I have to admit, your kids have guts, coming back for more like that," Aaron said casually. "Either that, or they're morons- like their father."

"Shut up!" Trunks shouted. "They're a whole lot smarter than you are!" Ruben yelled at the same time. Aaron laughed.

"Smarter than me? Somehow I doubt that!"

"Ri, Ri, are you ok?!" Rienna groaned, opened her eyes groggily, and looked around the room. Everything was fuzzy.

"Huh..? Where…?" She looked up at Brian, and her vision improved. "Brian?" He smiled and sighed with relief.

"You had me worried. For a minute there I thought you might have lost your memory again." Rienna sat up and looked around.

"Where's Dad? And Ruben?"

"Up there," Brian said, pointing above him. "I have to go help him, will you be ok?" Rienna nodded.

"Yeah, just give me a minute or two, I'll be fine."

"Hmm…" Brian stared at her for a minute. "You sure? Maybe I should stay."

"Get out of here, Brian!" she said in mock anger. "I'm ok, really! See, I can stand up on my own!" Rienna pushed herself up off the floor only to fall back into her brother's arms. "Crud." Brian laughed.

"Maybe I'll stay a little longer."

"Yeah," Rienna said, looking down at her weak legs. "Maybe you should."

"Crap!" Vegeta said, recognizing the sign on the door next to him. "We're going around in circles!"

"Are you sure?" Adrienne asked.

"Yes!" Vegeta jabbed a finger at the sign on the wall. "I _know_ we've been by the library before!"

"Maybe it's a different library?" Goten said.

"How many libraries do you _need!?"_

"Well, it depends…"

"ARGH! I don't have time for this!" Vegeta stomped off down the hall.

"Hey, Grandpa, wait!" Jamie called, running after him.

"Yeah, wait for us!" Leah cried. Adrienne sighed.

"Maybe we'll find a directory somewhere."

"Let's hope so," said Goten.

"You're going to pay for what you did to my family!" Ruben shouted, going into a fighting stance. Aaron laughed.

"Haven't you had enough yet, Ruben? You look tired. Maybe you should SIT DOWN!" With those words, Aaron blasted Ruben against the wall behind him. While he was distracted, Trunks flew behind him and tried to kick him up into the ceiling. Aaron disappeared and reappeared behind Trunks and knocked him face-first into the wall next to Ruben. He laughed. "Is that all you've got?"

"Hardly," Trunks said from behind him.

"What the-"

"A little something my kids taught me," he said, smirking a little. "Make them watch one hand," he said, waving his left hand, "while the other makes its move!" Trunks threw a blast at Aaron and hit him backwards a little.

"Clever," Aaron said, brushing himself off. "But not clever enough!" He lunged at Trunks and Trunks disappeared and reappeared behind him. He attempted a kick, but Aaron blocked it and countered with one of his own. This sort of thing when on for a while, until Ruben, a little dazed, climbed out of his crater in the wall and zoomed off to help. They attacked Aaron from both sides, until he disappeared and they both had to save themselves from hitting each other. The two of them stood back to back, watching for Aaron's next move.

"This isn't working," Ruben said, breathing heavily.

"No, it's not," Trunks agreed. "There has to be a way…"

"Man, they're getting creamed!" Brian exclaimed. "Dang it!"

"Aaron's unstoppable…" Rienna said. "He just doesn't have a weakness!"

"Everyone has a weakness, we just have to find it!" Rienna nodded.

"You're right, I shouldn't give up like that. Darn!" she shouted, pounding her fist on the floor. "If I could just get up!!"

"Maybe you can now. You want to try standing again?"

"Yeah." Brian helped Rienna onto her feet. "Hey! I can walk!" She stumbled around on the broken flooring under her. "Great!" She turned to her brother. "I'll be ok now, Brian, thanks." Brian shrugged.

"Hey, what are big brothers for?"

"You better go help," she said. "I hate to say it, but they need you up there." Brian nodded.

"Yeah." He flew off to join the fight.

"I'll be up as soon as I can!" Rienna called, waving.

"Alright!" he said, waving back.

"Be careful…"

"Dad!" Trunks looked down and saw his son flying up at him.

"Brian!? I thought I told you to watch your sister!?" Brian pulled up beside him and made himself a spot in their little group huddle.

"She told me to leave!" Brian protested. "Besides, you guys need my help anyway." Ruben laughed.

"I guess we do."

"Fine," Trunks said. "But when this is over, you're both grounded."

"What?! Dad!!" Brian whined.

"Just kidding," Trunk said with a wink. "Kids are so gullible these days." Ruben shook his head.

"I was never that naïve as a kid." 

"Hey, quit treating me like a two-year-old! I'm 18, ya know!" Brian declared.

"Aren't we supposed to be fighting Aaron?" Trunks asked suddenly.

"Yeah, guess so." Brian agreed.

"Where did he go?" Ruben asked.

"Dunno," said Brian. Below them, Rienna tried to sense where Aaron was, or what he was doing.

"C'mon, where are you, you creep…?" She narrowed her eyes. The walls were blocking her senses. Some special metal, she decided. What was he up to? Suddenly, she heard Aaron laugh. "What?!"

"Huh?" The three of them look around the room.

"Where is he?!" Ruben demanded.

"Show yourself!" Trunks yelled.

"Coward!" Brian added. Aaron laughed again.

"Coward, huh?" His voice echoed off the walls, and none of them could tell where he was. "I call it being strategic, but whatever you want is fine. I'll still destroy you."

"Cheap, dirty-"

"Get down!" Ruben shouted, knocking both Trunks and Brian out of the way of Aaron's sudden energy blast. He took the hit instead of the intended victims.

"Ruben!" Rienna cried. Ruben fell down toward her, and she flew up to catch him. Trunks, however, beat her to it, and he lowered him to the ground. He was still breathing, and looked around with his eyes half open. Brian landed beside them. "Ruben," Rienna said, tears in her eyes, "Ruben, come on, snap out of it." Above them, Aaron laughed, and he appeared high in the rafters.

"Fool! You'd give your life for the very people that hate you the most?" Ruben lifted his head and stared up at Aaron with determination in his eyes.

"Whether they hate me or not is not my concern. Life is valuable, no matter who's it is."

"Hmph," Aaron said, crossing his arms.

"However," Ruben said, pausing for a breath, "you've wasted yours, Aaron. You've forfeited it up through the trouble you've caused. I pity you." Aaron laughed.

"Pity me if you like, but it will be me that comes out on top in the end! I can promise you that!"

"Ruben, come on, you can pull through this!" Rienna said, taking his hand. "You can, I know you can!"

"Rienna, listen to me," Ruben said softly. "I can't-"

"Yes you can!"

"No, Ri, I can't. It's over."

"NO!"

"Rienna, listen to me!" Rienna nodded as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. "You have to stop him. For me, and for the rest of the world. Do you understand?" Rienna nodded again. Ruben smiled and wiped away one of her tears. "Don't cry, Ri, you've got a family that loves you, and is going to take care of you. You don't need me anymore."

"Maybe not," Rienna said faintly, looking down at her hands for a minute. She looked back up at him and stared into his eyes. "But I want you around." Ruben smiled.

"It's nice to know I'll be missed. 'Course I don't want you to miss me too much." Rienna laughed through her tears.

"Say hi to Jessica and Jeremy for me?"

"Sure." Ruben laid his head back down and closed his eyes. "Oh, and Ri?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell Aedan I love him."

"…Of course." Ruben sighed and relaxed his body. The pain had numbed his body, so he couldn't feel Rienna's grip on his hand tightening as his grew weaker. Finally, Rienna felt no grip at all. A tear fell onto his hand as she realized it was over. Brian put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't know him, but I he seemed like a good guy."

"He was," she said matter-of-factly.

"Is he finally dead, then?" Aaron asked from above them. "Good, I was getting bored with the long drawn-out goodbye."

"Shut up, Aaron!" Rienna shouted. "Just shut up!" Aaron laughed.

"I'm sorry, am I hurting your feelings?" He laughed again. "Not that it matters."

"Shut UP!" she repeated forcefully. "You don't know _half_ of what you've put me through! So shut your mouth, you jackass!" Brian was surprised at the words coming from his sister's mouth, and at the same time he wanted to shout curses right along with her. What right did he have to kill innocent people?

"Have I killed too many of your friends, Rienna? Are you finally going to crack before my very eyes?"

"The only one cracked around here is you!" Brian shouted angrily.

"Even one life lost is one too many," Trunks said sternly.

"Well, if you feel that way…" Aaron laughed. "I'll just have to kill all of you!" He smirked at them. "Which one of you wants to go first?"

"You won't be murdering people any longer, Aaron!" Rienna said, thrusting her finger at him accusingly. "We're gonna take you out, right here, right now!" Aaron popped his neck.

"Alright then, give it your best shot!"

Aedan and Jaerie were racing back to the lab at their top speeds. "Ha! I'm beating you, Aedan!"

"Not for long!" he called back with a grin. He put on an extra burst of speed and was about to pass her when something inside him went cold. Aedan stopped and looked around.

"Hey, Aedan, what's wrong?"

"I don't know," he said. "I felt something just now."

"Felt something?" Aedan nodded.

"Something… doesn't feel right. We should hurry, something might have happened back home." Jaerie shrugged.

"If you say so."

The three of them had been what seemed like a losing battle for fifteen minutes now. Rienna kicked weakly at Aaron, missed, and was thrown against the wall for about the fifth time. Brian came up behind his father, who was readying another attack. "Dad," he panted, "I- can't take- much more- of this." Trunks didn't turn around.

"I know, but we have to keep trying! He has to have a weakness."

"Yeah, but so far we haven't found it."

"Well, maybe we will now!" Trunks lunged at Aaron and initiated a one-on-one fistfight. Brian flew to where Rienna had landed and helped her up.

"Thanks, Brian."

"Sure." They both stood up and watched the others fight.

"Brian?" Brian didn't respond at first.

"…Yeah?"

"Do you think we can beat him, or is it a lost cause?"

"…………I don't know," he admitted finally. "C'mon, maybe if we both charge him we can do some damage!"

"Right!" They both kicked off the wall and flew at the two with amazing speed. Aaron kicked Trunks into Brian to counter and they both went crashing down to the floor. Aaron swung around and Rienna tried to halt herself, but couldn't and he sent her flying into the ceiling. He laughed.

"Getting rather desperate, aren't we?" he asked. Trunks pulled himself off the floor with a groan and stood up. He glared up at Aaron with tenacity.

"As long as I can still stand, I'll fight you even if it's the death of me."

"Which is highly likely," Aaron said haughtily, "but whatever pleases you. I'm not so cruel as to rob you of your precious final moments." Trunks narrowed his eyes and sped off towards him, but as soon as he got close Aaron punched him and began to pummel him severely.

"Dad…" Brian groaned, flipping himself over onto his back. He winced. There was a sharp pain in his left arm, and it was slowly but steadily increasing. Brian sat up and looked around for his sister. She was nowhere to be found. "Ri?" He heard a soft moan behind him and twisted around. She was lying sprawled out on the floor with her eyes closed. "Ri!" He crawled as best he could over to her and lifted her head. "Ri, get up! C'mon, you gotta get up!"

"C'mon Ri, you gotta get up! You gotta get up! Gotta get up…!" The little boy's voice faded into Brian's, and Rienna opened her eyes and sat up.

"You ok?" She nodded and looked up.

"I don't see how Dad can keep taking that," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "It hurts just watching."

"I know," Brian said. "But we gotta keep trying."

"I don't know if I can…"

"Mom wouldn't give up," Brian said softly.

"What?" Brian looked deep into her eyes.

"I said Mom wouldn't give up!" he repeated. "And Dad's not either, so we can't! As long as we've got energy left, we gotta fight him!"

"Yeah, but…" Rienna looked down at her feet. "I don't know how much more I've got…" Brian wasn't sure how to respond to that. They couldn't keep fighting like they were, or they'd surely lose. "Brian," she said softly, "I don't know if I can stay Super Saiyan much longer…"

"Just hang in there, I know you've got more than that!" Rienna nodded. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye,  she saw someone large and gold headed in their direction.

"Look out!" she cried, knocking Brian out of the way of the blast. Brian stared, wide-eyed, where the newly formed crater was, still smoking.

"Whoa…" he said. "That was close."

"Yeah. Gotta watch those stray blasts." Brian nodded.

"I'll remember that." Above them, Trunks yelped as Aaron sent him flying into the ground next to them.

"Dad!" they cried, rushing over to where he'd landed.

"Dad, are you ok? Can you hear me?" Rienna asked frantically.

"Dad, Dad, get up!" Brian begged. Trunks groaned and his eyes flickered open.

"Huh…?"

"Dad!" Rienna cried joyfully.

"Man, Dad, you really had us worried," Brian said. "You look pretty beat-up." Sure enough, Trunks' face was decorated with bruises and cuts, and his clothes were torn and frayed. Trunks smiled weakly.

"Guess I do." He winced.

"Dad!?" Trunks lifted his hand.

"No, I'm ok, just a bit bruised," he said.

"Dad, we can't do this," Brian said. "We need help." Trunks nodded.

"I know. Listen, I want you both to go looking for Grandpa."

"But Dad-" "Not without you!" Trunks shook his head.

"Listen to me. The fate of the world rests on our shoulders. What happens if we screw up?" Neither of them had an answer, and looked at their feet. "We're not taking any chances."

"Ok, Dad," Rienna said softly. "If that's what you think is best."

"Yeah…" Brian agreed. Trunks smiled and picked himself up.

"That's the spirit." Rienna stared at her feet for a few moments. She didn't want to leave, and the thought was heavy on her heart.

"But Dad, promise me something," she said faintly, looking up at him.

"What's that?"

"That you'll be alive when we get back." Trunks smiled.

"Don't worry." He re-entered SS form, and prepared to launch another attack. "I'm gonna distract him while you two head out that door." Trunks nodded to the double doors they'd come through before. "Head to the west wing. That's where Grandpa and the others went." Both his children nodded. He glanced back at them out of the corner of his eye and smiled. "I'm counting on you."

"Don't worry, Dad, we'll find 'em and bring 'em back before ya know it!" Brian declared. Trunks nodded and launched himself at Aaron, who was waiting patiently for his attack. Aaron's figure faded and Trunks ran right through him.

"What the-"

"Don't tell me you haven't seen that one before," Aaron said, rolling his eyes. He sighed. "Young Saiyans as so inexperienced these days."

"_Inexperienced_!?" Trunks' eye began to twitch. He hated it when people called him that. He was just as good as anyone, if not better! "I'm not inexperienced!" Brian groaned.

"Oh man… Not now…!"

"Does he always do that?" Rienna asked. Brian nodded.

"Since before I can remember." Rienna sighed.

"Great."

"Just ignore him, Dad!" Brian called. "It's not worth getting killed over!" Aaron smirked.

"You should listen to your kids, Trunks. They seem to be smarter than you, anyway." Trunks growled.

"Shut up!" he yelled angrily. "Nobody calls _me callow and gets away with it!"_

"Well, *_now_* I see the Vegeta in you," Aaron said. "Stubborn to the core and completely *_stupid*. Sorry you got the short end of the stick."_

"Hey, leave my father out of this!" Rienna turned to her brother.

"Quick, Brian, we should go now."

"But Ri, I can't leave him! Have you seen him like this!?"

"Well, no… But I'm sure he'll be ok. We've lasted this long." Brian nodded.

"You're right. Besides, the sooner we leave, the sooner we'll get back."

"My thoughts exactly." The two purple-haired Saiyans sneaked around to the door behind Aaron and were reaching to pull it open when some invisible force blasted them backwards.

"Whoa!" Brian flew back and landed roughly on the broken floor behind him, hitting his head on a broken slab of concrete. Rienna was tossed to the floor next to him. She sat up, holding her hand to her head.

"Force field… should've known," she muttered.

"Of course!" Aaron said, laughing. "You don't think I'm that stupid, do you?" Rienna smirked.

"You want me to answer that honestly?" Aaron stopped laughing and stared down at her menacingly.

"You're just like the rest of these morons, aren't you?" he said. "All mouth, no brains."

"You of all people should know I'm the smartest one in the room," she replied coldly.

"Why you-"

"Just ignore her, Aaron," Trunks chided. "It's not worth getting killed over." Aaron's face turned red in rage.

"Enough talk!" he shouted angrily. "I'm going to kill you all and then blast your bodies into tiny _pieces!" Trunks went into his fighting stance._

"You have to catch me, first." He disappeared and reappeared in another area of the room. "If you can." He disappeared and reappeared in his original spot. "Care to try?"

"Dad, wait!" Rienna called.

"What?" Both Aaron and Trunks looked down at her. She was kneeling beside her brother, anxiousness written all over her face.

"He's not breathing!"

"What?!" Trunks tried to fly down, but Aaron laughed and pinned him against the wall. "Aaron!" Aaron laughed again.

"I'm not going to let you go, now," he said. "I want you to watch your son die before your eyes. Like I had to watch my daughter." Trunks struggled against Aaron's grip.

"NO!"

"Dad!" Rienna wanted to help her father, but she couldn't just leave Brian there. "C'mon, Brian, breath!" Trunks charged a Ki blast in his hand, but Aaron closed it with his own.

"Ah ah ah," he said, shaking his head. "Stick around a while, Trunks." Trunks grunted and shifted his weight, trying to free himself. It didn't work. Trunks felt tears well up in his eyes as he realized he could do nothing to help his children. Rienna crept forward and felt for a pulse, and when she didn't find one, she gasped and fell backwards onto her feet. Trunks cried out and pushed against the other Saiyan with all his might. Aaron finally let him go, and Trunks flew down and landed next to his daughter.

"Dad… tell me I did it wrong. Just tell me I did it wrong," Rienna pleaded. Trunks knelt down beside Brian and, dreading what he might find, checked for his pulse. Trunks closed his eyes and took a deep breath to keep from crying as he pulled back slowly. "No…" Trunks shook his head.

"Why......?"

"Do you feel that?" Aaron asked. "That's the feeling I've had to live with for 53 years."

"Why couldn't it have been me…?" Trunks whispered, looking down at his hands. "It _should_ have been me… How could this happen?"

"The force field…" Rienna said softly. She stared at the great double doors. "He must have hit his head…"

"I shouldn't have told you to go," Trunks said.

"Dad…" Rienna looked up at him. "It wasn't your fault…" She glared up at Aaron. "It was his."

"Oh, sure, blame everything on the bad guy," Aaron said sarcastically. "Oh well, that's one less person to kill off the hard way."

"You heartless jerk!" Rienna shouted, rising to her feet and into a fighting stance. "How can you go on killing people!? Do you have any soul at all!?" Aaron thought for a minute.

"I don't know," he said innocently. "I've never checked." Rienna narrowed her eyes.

"Don't give me that crap!" she screamed. "I hope you burn in _Hell_ for what you've done!" Trunks stood up, his eyes closed.

"You…jackass…" Rienna yelled something in rage and lunged at Aaron. He disappeared, reappeared behind Trunks, and had him in a headlock in two seconds flat. "What the-"

"It's finally time to test it," Aaron said to himself, pulling a syringe out of his coat pocket. Rienna gasped.

"No!" Aaron ignored her and jabbed the syringe into Trunks' shoulder, making him collapse in pain. "Dad!" Trunks groaned and fell to the floor, clutching his arm.

"What… did you… do…?"

"Congratulations, son of Vegeta. You've become the first victim of my Syndrome. Well, actually, you're the second," Aaron said suddenly. "I believe your wife went first?"

"Darn it…" Trunks muttered, his vision fading. "Leave… Chloe out of this…"

"A little late for that." Aaron walked around in front of him. His feet moved in and out of focus, and Trunks had to close his eyes to keep from getting dizzy. His stomach lurched and Trunks, feeling like he was going to vomit, curled up into the fetal position, holding his stomach; but nothing ever came, and the pain stayed. "Painful, isn't it?" Aaron asked him. "Don't worry, it'll be over in an hour or two."

"Leave my father alone!" Aaron turned and casually blocked Rienna's punch. He tossed her to the side with ease.

"Pathetic child," he said sternly, walking over to her as she stood. He punched her across the room, disappeared, and reappeared between her and the wall. Aaron punched her again, sending her in the other direction. Rienna hit the wall with a yelp and slid down, fighting to keep consciousness. Her forehead and lip were bleeding now, and the blood dripped down around her eye. She felt dizzy, and tried to stand, but Aaron stepped on her back and pushed her back down easily.

"Not so tough without your daddy around to protect you," he said coldly. Aaron stepped back and held out his hand, and Rienna's limp body rose into the air. He pushed away the air in front of him, and Rienna flew into another wall. Dust and debris blew everywhere, and Rienna couldn't see a thing. She felt a presence in front of her, and before she knew it Aaron had wrapped his hand around her throat. She gasped for air as he squeezed her harder. "Poor little Rienna: alone again. But don't worry, it won't be long," he added. "You'll see them all _very_ soon…" Aaron tightened his grip on her throat again, and Rienna struggled weakly to free herself. Aaron glared at her intensely. "Prepare to die, Saiyan brat."

Ooh, cliffhanger! Bwa ha ha. I love cliffhangers! Ha ha ha ha ha! Sorry, guys, I had to do it. Look out for the next chapter! (On another note, I'm so close to finishing, it's scary! I can't believe it!) Keep your eyes peeled for the next part, and please r/r! Thanks a bunch!


	7. Plenty of Time

Syndrome

DISCLAIMER: I do *_not_* own DBZ (Hee hee…. _Yet_… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!

. : : Chapter 7 : Plenty of Time : : .

"Did you feel that?" Jamie asked, stopping in his tracks.

"Yeah…" Goten said.

"It's Brian," Leah said. "Dad, I can't sense him anymore!"

"You don't think…"

"Nonsense!" Vegeta snapped at his grandson. "He is still alive!" he said, though he didn't quite believe it himself.

"Dad…" Adrienne said softly.

"We have to hurry," Goten said sternly. "Trunks needs our help!" His wife and children nodded.

"Yeah," Jamie agreed. *_Hold on, guys. We're coming!*_

Aedan and Jaerie neared the labs at tremendous speed. "Almost there," Aedan said, putting on an extra burst of speed. Jaerie gasped.

"Hey, wait up!" she called, also boosting her speed to match his.

"There's no time for that," he said.

"What do you mean!? We don't even know if something really _did_ happen!" Aedan shook his head.

"Something happened, alright. I just don't know what." *_And I'm afraid to find out. What if something happened to Dad? Or to Ri?* _Aedan shook his head. He shouldn't think like that. Jaerie narrowed her eyes. 

_*What's going on in that pint-sized brain of yours, Aedan Kinamora?*_

Aaron tightened his grip on Rienna's throat and smirked at Rienna's blue-tinted face. "One thing about strangling: it takes a while," he said arrogantly. Tears rolled down Rienna's face as she struggled to grasp even one breath of fresh air. Instead of the kicking they had been doing earlier, her legs twitched with what little energy she had left. She closed her eyes and held them shut tightly, causing a stream of tears to flow down her dusty cheeks, leaving streaks of clear skin among the dirt. "I'm surprised you haven't even lost consciousness yet. You're pretty strong for being of mixed blood."

_*Crap,*_ Rienna thought._ *I've got no more energy… Is this the end? Is this how I'm going to die?*_ She opened her eyes and stared at the fallen fighters around her. Goku, Darrin, Ruben, Trunks, and… Brian. How could this happen? If she hadn't been so weak those ten years ago, none of this would have ever occurred. *_Darn it.*_ More tears fell down her face and dripped onto the floor. *_It's my fault…* No, it wasn't her fault. She hadn't been the one who killed her family, Aaron was. And if she could just escape, or beat him somehow, then there was still a chance to save them, as well as Earth._

"Why don't you just give up now and save me the trouble? My arm is getting tired," Aaron told her casually. Rienna stared at him with determination. "No?" Aaron sighed. "Fine, it's your choice." Just then, someone burst through the double doors in front of them and gasped.

"What the heck!?" Aedan exclaimed. "Aaron!"

"What's going on here!?" Jaerie demanded. Aaron narrowed his eyes.

"This girl is a traitor," he said simply. "She must be punished."

"Aaron, put her down!" Aedan told him. "Tell me what happened!"

"Hmph. I was getting bored with her anyway," he said. He tossed Rienna aside like a dirty rag. Aedan rushed over to her.

"Rienna, Rienna! Gosh, are you ok!?" In reply, Rienna coughed and held her sore throat. She nodded weakly and continued to cough.

"What happened here?" Jaerie asked, stepping over broken slabs of concrete and rubble to stand next to Aaron.

"Plenty," he answered.

"Yeah, I can see that…"

"Now tell me what's going on," Aedan said, standing up next to Rienna. Aaron nodded.

"As you wish." He began to walk around the room. "While you were out," he began, "a group of Saiyans raided the lab. They were Rienna's long lost family, and they wanted her back." Jaerie gasped.

"You're kidding!" Aaron shook his head.

"They were captured easily, but escaped and convinced Rienna to come back to them. That's when it happened."

"What happened?" Aedan asked sternly. Aaron turned to him and stared into his eyes.

"They killed your father."

"What?!" Aedan exclaimed. "You're lying!"

"He's lying over there," Aaron said, pointing in the direction where Ruben's body lay. Aedan ran over to him and knelt down to examine him.

"Dad…" Aedan said, lifting his father's head. "No…" Rienna coughed again.

"We.. we did not…" she said hoarsely. "Aaron… did…"

"Quiet, traitor!" Aaron shouted. "Aedan, I'm sorry, but.. they got your mother and brother as well."

"WHAT?!" Aedan stood up. "Mom and Jeremy!?" He turned on Rienna. "How could you!?" Rienna shook her head.

"No…!" she protested feebly. "It wasn't… I didn't…" Aaron walked over to Aedan and put his hand gently on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Aedan. I couldn't stop them."

"Liar!" Rienna shouted as best she could. "You killed them! And my family, too!"

"Nonsense," Aaron said. He glared at Rienna, then turned to Aedan. "Ignore her, Aedan. She's not the same person you used to know."

"No!" Rienna tried to stand up, and leaned against the wall for support. "Aedan, please!"

"Shut up!" Jaerie yelled suddenly. She walked over to Rienna and slapped her. "You just shut up! How could you do something like this!?" Rienna put her hand to her cheek and glared up at Jaerie.

"Darn it! You're in on this, aren't you!? I know you are, you witch!" Jaerie slapped her again.

"I'm not in on anything, you fool," she said angrily. "All I know is that you've abandoned us and everything we stand for." She began to walk to Aedan, but stopped. "You know," she said without turning around. "I'm not surprised you turned on us, Rienna. In fact, I'm glad. At least now I have a *_good_* reason to hate you." Aaron glared at Rienna.

"Take her to her cell. We'll execute her after the Syndrome has been activated." Jaerie turned around and punched her in the stomach. Rienna's eyes widened, and she fell over with a groan. The last thing she remembered seeing was Jaerie's boots walking towards her…

"Whoa!" Jamie exclaimed, walking into the torn up auditorium and trying not to trip on the rubble. "What happened here?"

"They've definitely been here," Goten said, looking around at the signs of a fight.

"Mom, Dad, over here!" Leah cried suddenly. "It's Darrin!"

"What!?" The rest of the group rushed over to where she was kneeling next to Darrin, his head in her lap. His eyes twitched and he groaned.

"Darrin! Wake up, Darrin!" Adrienne urged. He finally opened his eyes and looked up at Leah.

"What…? Where am I?" Leah smiled at him.

"Good, you're alright!" she said. Darrin sat up.

"What happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," said Vegeta, who crossed his arms in disappointment.

"I remember… Rienna. We finally convinced her who we were, and Ruben was there."

"Wait, who's Ruben?" Adrienne asked.

"Rienna's kidnapper."

"What!?" Vegeta exclaimed in rage. "Where is he!?" Darrin shook his head.

"I don't know. I got knocked out after Aaron showed up." He rubbed the back of his neck. "That's all I remember."

"So you don't know where everyone is?" Goten asked. Darrin shook his head.

"No. But Goku should be around here somewhere, he got knocked out before I did."

"There he is!" Jamie shouted, pointing to his grandfather. Leah helped Darrin up while the rest of the group ran over to him.

"Dad, wake up!" Goten said, grabbing Goku by the shoulder and shaking him. He shook his head. "It's no use."

"Leave it to Kakarott," Vegeta muttered under his breath.

"Hold on," Leah said. "I've got some candy in my pocket. Maybe that'll wake him up?" Goten shrugged.

"It's worth a shot," he said. Leah pulled out a pack of Starbursts and opened them. Almost immediately, Goku's eyes began to flutter.

"Do I smell candy…?" he asked, sitting up with his hand on his head. Goten smiled.

"Welcome back, Dad."

"Huh? Goten?" Goku cocked his head. "Whoa, what happened here!?"

"Well, _obviously_ a fight, you moron!" Vegeta snapped.

"Quite a battle, by the looks of it," Darrin said.

"Yeah…" Goku said. "Where is everyone?"

"We don't know, but we're about to go looking," Adrienne told him. Goku hopped up.

"Well let's find them, then! Who knows what Aaron might've done while I was out!" His stomach growled, and he sweat-dropped. "Uh, say, Leah…" She laughed and tossed the Starbursts at him.

"Take them." Goku grinned.

"Thanks!"

Rienna stood all alone in the broken auditorium, rubble and dead bodies scattered around her. She stared at each of them in turn: Ruben, Trunks, and Brian. As she did so, she relived how each had died. Every time, a sharp pain would fill her chest, and each one brought her closer to the ground. Suddenly, she found herself lying on the floor in pain. Someone laughed at her. "Poor Rienna, alone again…" the voice echoed in her mind. "Helpless brat…" Two figures walked into the room, not seeming to notice her. They drew nearer, talking among themselves, though she couldn't make out what they were saying. Soon they were so close she could reach out to touch them, and they still did not notice her. Suddenly, the larger of the two pulled something long and wide out of his coat. The other gasped and stepped back, but by then it was too late; the victim landed on the floor next to Rienna, bleeding and dying. He stared into her eyes, and Rienna gasped as the figure's face became clearer: it was Aedan. "NO!" Rienna's eyes popped open. She had woken herself up from her nightmare.

"Hey, calm down," someone next to her said, sitting on the bed next to her. Rienna jumped.

"W-what? Who-"

"Chill, it's me," said the figure. Rienna narrowed her eyes.

"Aedan?" He nodded in the dark. It was a little hard to see, as the lights were not on and there weren't any windows.

"Yeah, it's me."

"But I thought-"

"You don't think I'd believe Aaron over you, do you?" he asked with a small smile.

"Well, uh…" Aedan almost laughed.

"You're such a dork," he said.

"Hey!" Rienna exclaimed. She tried to sit up so she could smack him, but winced and lay back down.

"Hey, don't try to get up yet," he told her, his smile now replaced with anxiety. "You're still recovering. Aaron beat you up pretty bad." Rienna glared at the ceiling as Aedan prepared some medicine for her.

"Don't remind me," she said softly. "…I'm going to kill him, Aedan," she said after a while. "After what he's done, he doesn't deserve to live."

"I know…" Aedan clenched his fist. "I'm going to help you." Rienna didn't answer. "My family's gone, too. I've got nothing to lose." He turned around and handed her a cup of steaming liquid. "Here, drink this. It'll help you heal faster." Rienna nodded, sat up, and took a sip. She almost spit it back out.

"Ugh! What is that!?" Aedan laughed.

"My dad's special formula. It might taste bad, but it'll make you feel better afterwards." Rienna stared at it in disgust. "C'mon, trust me, it's worth it." Rienna sighed.

"If you say so." Rienna took a deep breath and downed the horrible liquid quickly. She made a face and shuddered. "Nasty."

"At least you don't have to drink it after every bruise or scrape," Aedan said. "My dad makes me all the time." Rienna wrinkled her nose.

"You poor boy."

"Yup." He stood up.

"Wait, where're you going?"

"To gather information. I'll be back for you, I promise."

"………alright." He turned to leave. "But stay away from the auditorium!" she added quickly. Aedan smiled.

"If you say so," he said, closing the door softly. Rienna sighed.

"Be careful." Rienna lay back down. The taste of that awful medicine was still in her mouth. But Aedan said it would help… Come to think of it, she felt a whole lot better already. "Hmm…" she said to herself. "Guess he was right." She put her hands behind her head and began to think. *_I wonder where everyone is… Uncle Goten and the rest are probably looking for us. I wonder if they found the auditorium yet…* _She felt tears welling up in her eyes. *_I hate this place,* she thought angrily. *_I hate everything about it! Darn it!*_ She sat up and looked around. *_I'm going to hunt you down forever, if it takes that long!*_ She hugged her knees and rocked herself back and forth to keep from crying. It didn't help, and the tears started to flow. *_Crap.*__

"Wow, they really did a number on this auditorium…" Goku said.

"You're telling me," said Goten. Vegeta grunted.

"I've seen worse," he said arrogantly.

"Worse?!" Jamie exclaimed.

"Yeah, we've been through a lot," Goku said. "One day I'll tell you the whole story, beginning to end."

"Cool!" Jamie cheered. "Can't wait!"

"Miss Adrienne," Darrin said softly, "why so quiet?" Adrienne shook her head.

"Just thinking…" What if Brian really was dead? She didn't know how she'd deal with that. The family had been through so much so many times… Leah was walking ahead of them silently. She too was thinking. Suddenly, she looked up and stopped, wide-eyed.

"What is it, Leah?" Jamie asked, running up to her. She didn't respond. They all followed her gaze to where Brian lay.

"Oh my gosh! Brian!" Adrienne cried, rushing over to him. The others weren't far behind. She knelt down beside him.

"Is he alright?" Vegeta asked anxiously. Adrienne shook her head.

"No!" Leah cried. She burst into tears. Darrin pulled her into a hug and tried to comfort her.

"Oh no…" Goku whispered to himself. Vegeta backed away and stared at his grandson as the thought sank in. He finally couldn't stand it anymore and turned around, hoping no one would notice him crying. Jamie stared at his feet.

"He wasn't just my cousin, he was my best friend," he said as he started to cry. Goten hugged him.

"I know, Jamie, I know." Adrienne stood up.

"Aaron's gonna pay for this," she said tears in her eyes. Vegeta wiped away his tears and turned around.

"Let's keep going," he said. "There's nothing we can do here."

"Come on, Leah, we have to go," Darrin told her, wiping a few tears away. Leah sniffed and nodded.

"Ok."

"There's no way we're gonna let him get away with this," Jamie said. "Just no way!" Goten nodded.

"Don't worry, Jamie, we won't. No way in the world."

Aedan soon returned with news straight from Aaron's mouth. "He's definitely unleashing the virus in an hour," he told Rienna, who was listening intently. "We've got to stop him before he does."

"An hour? Plenty of time," Rienna said with a smile. Aedan smiled back at her.

"You're something else, you know that?" She grinned.

"Yeah." He laughed.

"So how are you feeling?"

"Much better, actually," she said cheerfully. "Your dad sure knows his stuff."

"What'd I tell ya?" Rienna stood up.

"I'm ready to go when you are. But…"

"But what?" Rienna hesitated.

"Have you heard anything about my dad?" she asked finally. Aedan shook his head.

"No. I'm sorry." She shook her head.

"That's ok… I probably wouldn't want to know anyway." Aedan put his hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't we go check? After all, we have to stop Aaron sooner or later." Rienna nodded.

"Ready when you are."

Both of them crept out of the cell and into the hall quietly. "C'mon, this way," Aedan said, motioning for her to follow him. She nodded, and they both walked along the hall as softly as they could. He finally stopped at an automatic door with a "Notice: Personnel Only" sign on the front. He turned around. "I think they've got him in here," Aedan said, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder. Rienna nodded. "You sure you want to do this?"

"I have to know, Aedan." He nodded.

"Ok." Aedan turned back around and was about to punch in the passcode when they heard yelling inside. "Huh?"

"What?! No! How can you be moving!? You're supposed to be- wait! No, stop! Aaaaaaaaaaahh!!!" A large explosion blasted the door wide open and smoke came streaming out of it. Rienna and Aedan fell backwards as the explosion rocked the ground beneath them.

"What the heck!?" Aedan exclaimed. Someone ran through the smoke towards them, coughing, keeping their head down low and their shirt over their mouth.

"Dad!?" Rienna exclaimed. He looked up.

"Rienna!?"

"Dad!" She ran forward and hugged him. "I'm so glad you're ok! I thought you were a goner!"

"So did I!" he exclaimed. Rienna took a step backwards so she could look him in the face. There wasn't a scratch on him.

"Dad, what happened?" she asked. "You look perfectly healthy!"

"I don't know!" Trunks admitted. "One minute I felt like I was gonna puke, and the next I was completely re-energized!"

"So you escaped," Rienna said. 

"Naturally," he replied with a laugh. "I think I gave that girl quite a scare."

"Girl?" Rienna asked. "What girl?"

"Ri, that doesn't matter," Aedan said. "We need to go."

"Huh?" Trunks looked past his daughter at him. "Who are you?"

"A friend," Rienna said. "Dad, meet Aedan. He's Ruben's son." Trunks crossed his arms.

"He looks like Gohan," he said with a smirk. Rienna nodded.

"Yeah, he does, but never mind that." Aedan frowned and crossed his arms. Gohan? Who was Gohan? "Listen, Dad, we have to stop Aaron. He's gonna disperse the Syndrome in less than an hour!" Trunks raised his eyebrows.

"An hour? That's plenty of time!" Rienna crossed her arms.

"That's what I said." Trunks smiled.

"Well at least we're all on the right track."

"C'mon, we need to get going," Aedan said. "I don't know how much time we have left." Trunks nodded.

"Right." Another figure appeared in the smoke, coughing and feeling her way along the wall.

"Dang… how could he have escaped?" she said to herself. "He's supposed to be dead!" She coughed again. "Blast this smoke!"

"Jaerie?" Rienna asked. The figure stopped.

"Huh? Who's there?" She walked along the wall and finally emerged from the smoke. The first person she saw was Trunks. "_You!" Trunks smirked at her._

"Hello, there."

"You're supposed to be dead!" she exclaimed, pointing at him accusingly.

"Well, I'm not," Trunks said plainly. "_Obviously."_

"Jaerie!"

"Huh?" Jaerie looked past Trunks at the other two. "Aedan!" She glared at Rienna. "And _you_." Rienna crossed her arms.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Jaerie, we have to talk to you. We need your help," Aedan said.

"Help?"

"Yeah, we're trying to stop Aaron. He's going to kill off the planet!" Jaerie smirked.

"Ooh, sounds exciting."

"Then you already know?" Rienna asked.

"Of course I know, you fool! I'm 'in on it', remember?" Rienna narrowed her eyes.

"You double-crossing-"

"I'm afraid it's you that's the two timing schemer, Rienna," Jaerie told her. "I'm just going with the flow."

"Well 'the flow' is going to take you straight to your own end!" Rienna shouted, going into her fighting stance.

"Jaerie," Aedan said, "don't be like this. We don't wanna fight you." Jaerie nodded in Rienna's direction.

"Apparently she does." Aedan shook his head.

"C'mon, Jaer, come with us," he said. "Leave Aaron. He'll never share the glory anyway." Jaerie shook her head.

"You're wrong. He wouldn't neglect his own daughter, would he?" Aedan's eyes widened, and Rienna's stance relaxed.

"His d-daughter?" he stammered.

"You heard me." Trunks shook his head.

"You can't be his daughter. He only has two." Jaerie smirked.

"Two of full flesh, maybe, but all three are his own."

"You're not making sense!" Rienna said. Jaerie laughed.

"Don't you get it?"

"You're an android…" Aedan said with sudden realization. She nodded.

"That's right," she said proudly. "I always knew you were the smart one." Jaerie began to pace the hall. "I'm his daughter in the fact that the flesh I'm made of is his. However, I have no mother, so the other half of me is machine." Rienna narrowed her eyes.

"I always knew there was something odd about you. You just didn't seem… human."

"Because I'm not." Jaerie stopped pacing and stared at her rival. "I surprised no one figured it out before."

"Well, father or not, Aaron doesn't share power," Trunks told her. "Only with Adrienne."

"Ha!" Jaerie shouted. "That's what you think."

"Because I know it's true," Trunks said. "Trust me, I know this guy."

"So do I!" Jaerie shouted. "And I'm not going to listen to any more of your lies!" She went into her fighting pose. "And if you're going to stop Aaron, you'll have to go through me!"

"Jaerie, stop!" Aedan protested. "We don't have time!"

"Fight me, Kinamora!" she yelled, hatred in her eyes now. "You've taken me lightly one too many times! It ends _now!"_

"Dad, see if you can find another way. Aedan and I can handle this," Rienna told him, going into her fighting stance again. Aedan did the same. Trunks nodded in response.

"Alright. Be careful, Ri." She nodded. "Hey, you!' Trunks said suddenly. Aedan pointed to himself.

"Me?" he asked.

"Yeah. Aedan, right?"

"Yeah." Trunks grinned.

"Take care of your girlfriend." Aedan blushed, and Rienna shot her father a dirty look.

"Dad!" Trunks shrugged.

"Sorry, Ri, had to do it," he said. "Brian gets it all the time. Fair is fair."

"Sh- she's not my girlfriend," Aedan finally stuttered. Trunks smiled.

"I know. Not yet, anyway." Rienna's face went red.

"DAD!!"

"Hel-LO?! Very ticked-off android over here!" Jaerie shouted, crossing her arms. Both Rienna and Aedan turned around as Trunks flew off in the other direction.

"You left out 'psychotic'," Aedan said with a sneer. Jaerie shot daggers at him.

"Ooh, you'll pay for that one, jackass!"

"Yeah, whatever," Aedan said. "Let's just get this over with."

"Yeah, we're kinda in a rush," Rienna said. "Gotta save the world, ya know." Jaerie snickered.

"Doubt you'll make it that far," she said. She leered at them. "If you land a punch, I'll be surprised."

"Then you'd better prepare for the shock of your life," Rienna shot back, "'cause we're gonna kick your butt!"

"Couldn't you think of a better comeback?" Jaerie asked haughtily. "That one wasn't cheesy enough."

"Enough of this!" Aedan shouted, a little ticked off. "Are we gonna fight or not?"

"I don't know, ask your girlfriend." Aedan glared at her.

"You disgust me."

"The feeling's mutual." Rienna glared at her.

"Let's just get on with it," she said.

"By all means."

Trunks flew down the hallways, listening for any sign of Aaron or his disseminating machine. "Where are you…?" he whispered to himself. 

Jaerie grinned at them, and started to snicker.

"What's so funny?" Aedan asked. She laughed and her eyes flashed green.

"You!?" Rienna exclaimed.

"That's right, moron," Jaerie told her.

"But how!?"

"You don't know?" Jaerie laughed. "Come on now, can't you simpletons figure it out?"

"But you're an android!"

"Correct. But the other part of me isn't human."

"Yeah, but-"

"Face the music, Ri!" Jaerie said, turning Super Saiyan. "I'm only a glimpse of things yet to come!"

"You're insane!" Aedan exclaimed.

"Thank you," Jaerie said, cocking her head and winking at him. "Aedan, leave her," she added with a nod in Rienna's direction. "Come with me so I don't have to kill you." Jaerie sauntered up to him and put her hand on his cheek. Rienna narrowed her eyes until they were almost closed and glared at Jaerie so hard that Vegeta would have been proud. "Don't throw your life away." Aedan jerked away.

"Wake up and smell the coffee, Jaer!" he shouted. "What makes you think I'd go with you!? I've _never liked you!" Jaerie backed away in surprise, and Rienna began to grin._

_*You tell her, Aedan!*_

"I tried my best to get along with you, but it's hard when someone's a stuck-up, self-centered brat!" Rienna grinned even more. This was getting good. Jaerie gasped and took another step back.

"W-why you-" Aedan grinned.

"And you know what?" Jaerie stared at him, wondering what else he could say to hurt her or her pride. "Rienna's a better fighter than you any day." Rienna stared at Aedan in surprise. She felt her cheeks flush.

"I- I am?" Jaerie gasped and narrowed her eyes.

"I'll show you who's the better fighter!" she screamed. She lunged at Rienna, who went SS and blocked her attack. Jaerie began to hammer her with a barrage of punches, all of which Rienna avoided.

"Darn it, Jaerie, why do you have to be so dang sensitive!?" Rienna demanded, blocking an attempted punch in the face. Jaerie responded with another series of attacks. "What is it you're fighting for?! Do you even know!?"

"I'm protecting my father and destroying _you!" she kicked out at Rienna, who blocked and slid backwards a little._

"But why?! Why are you going to kill millions of innocent people!?"

"Because those weaklings don't deserve to live on such a wonderful planet!" Rienna glared at her. 

"Who are you to decide who lives and who dies?!" Jaerie laughed.

"It's simply history repeating itself. The strong survive, and the weak are conquered and perish! That's how it's been throughout the ages! Why disrupt the course of history?"

"Because these people, deserving or not, are here for a reason! Every life means something, and you're just going to end them because they can't fight back?!"

"That's the just of it, yes," Jaerie replied.

"Well it's not gonna happen today!" Rienna launched herself at the other girl with a yell and they began to fight each other once more. Aedan watched them with wonder.

_*Wow* _ he thought, *_both of you have something you're fighting for, and you're giving it your all.* He looked at his hands. *_What have I done? What am I going to fight for? When the time comes to take a stand, where will I be?*_ He looked back up at the two girls. Suddenly, something his father had told him as a child came flooding back to him._

"Aedan, listen to me," Ruben said, putting his hand on his son's shoulder. "I know this might be a little hard for you to understand, but life is precious. Don't waste it doing useless actions, or it will come back to haunt you." Little eight-year-old Aedan nodded.

"I dunno if I get it, but ok, Dad," he said. Ruben laughed.

"Well, lemme put it this way: If you died fifteen years from now, and looked back at the stuff you did, would you say it was worth it?"

"Uh…" Aedan thought for a moment. "I dunno. I guess," he said, scratching his head. "I haven't done anything important, but I plan to." Ruben smiled.

"That's what I'm talking about. Try to make your life count." Aedan grinned.

"Oh, I get it now."

"Good. Ready for that ice cream I promised?"

"Yeah!"

_*"Would you say it was worth it…*" _Aedan looked back at his hands and shook his head. So far, so much of his life had been wasted doing Aaron's dirty work. He looked back up at the girls a second time. "Time to make up for that." Suddenly, Aedan felt some sort of energy surging inside him. "What the…?" Jaerie finally found an open spot and kicked Rienna across the floor, sending her sliding to a halt near Aedan's feet. "Ri, you ok?" Rienna groaned and sat up.

"Yeah, I'm ok." Aedan glared at Jaerie, who was gloating over her last hit.

"Ha! Who's the better fighter _now?" He clenched his fists, and the energy inside him seemed to triple._

"Enough!" he shouted. Jaerie stopped laughing at looked at him curiously. Rienna did the same; she had never seen him so fired up. "You want a fight, you've got one! You're dealing with _me now!" His power level sky-rocketed, and both girls watched in shock as Aedan, for the first time, went… Super Saiyan. He looked down at himself, half in disbelief, half with pride. *__So that's_ what that was…*__

"Y-you can go Super Saiyan too?" Jaerie stammered. Rienna smiled.

"Aedan, you did it!"

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" he replied with a grin. Jaerie shook her head.

"It doesn't matter, you'll still lose! Everyone falls at the feet of Aaron!"

"We'll see about that," Aedan said. "Are you finished, or is the rest of your speech going to put me to sleep?" Jaerie narrowed her eyes.

"The only speech you'll hear today is your own funeral!"

"Oh my, I'm really scared now," Aedan said, rolling his eyes. Jaerie glared harder at him.

"Mock me while you can, Kinamora, 'cause you won't be talking much longer!" Again, Jaerie charged her opponent. Aedan calmly waited for her to draw closer, then disappeared, reappeared, and punched her back into the wall. Jaerie peeled herself off of it and gaped at him.

"Don't look so surprised," he said. "That was rather predictable."

"Shut up and fight me face to face!" she shouted.

"You're just mad 'cause I threw you into the wall," Aedan said with a smirk. Rienna had to snicker. Jaerie glared at her.

"Shut up, both of you!" she shouted, firing a huge blast that filled the entire hallway. When it disappeared, Rienna and Aedan were no where to be found. She narrowed her eyes.

"I know you're not dead!" she shouted at the ceiling.

"You're right," Rienna said from beside her.

"We're not," Aedan finished. Jaerie jumped up to escape both of their attacks and the two Ki blasts cancelled each other out.

"Careful, or you might blast each other," Jaerie warned them.

"No, I don't think we'd ever stoop to your level of stupidity," Rienna said, crossing her arms. Aedan grinned.

"So are you going to come down and fight, or can we leave now?" he asked her. She narrowed her eyes in response.

"Next time you won't be so lucky!" she declared before disappearing. 

"Hey!" Rienna shouted. Aedan sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Whew," he said, going back to normal. "I hate to admit it, but that was quite a workout." Rienna frowned and also went into her normal form. "Hey, Ri, what's wrong?"

"She's gone…"

"Come on, Ri, we beat her!" Aedan exclaimed. "Lighten up!"

"Aedan," she said, "what if she went to warn Aaron?" Aedan's smile faded.

"Uh oh." Rienna nodded.

"Big uh oh."

Jaerie flew through the hallways at her top speed, furious with herself. How could she have been defeated so easily? Aaron definitely wasn't going to be happy when he found out. Jaerie narrowed her eyes. Those two idiots had ruined her reputation!

_*I'll get you two next time,*_ she vowed. *_Because next time I'll have my secret weapon.* _She laughed to herself. "Prepare to be exterminated!" She flew off down the hall with renewed confidence to fetch her "secret weapon," laughing the whole way.

Adrienne and the rest of the group were still searching for any sign of Trunks or Rienna. The small group of jail-breakers walked down the hall in silence, deep in thought. Where could they be? Had they been captured- or worse, killed? Or maybe they were fighting Aaron right now. Speaking of Aaron, what was he up to? He'd mentioned something about protecting Adrienne, and keeping her "safe." What did he mean? Was he referring to that virus he had mentioned? Whatever he meant, it couldn't be good, and the group was determined to stop him at all costs. Hopefully it wouldn't come down to that…

Vegeta crossed his arms. He was getting tired of all these mysteries. And what was the point of solving a mystery when you don't have all the clues? He sighed and tried to think of something else.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Adrienne asked, slowing her pace to match his. He looked up at her questioningly.

"Hm? Oh, nothing," he answered, shaking his head. She stared at him.

"I don't believe you," she said plainly. Vegeta looked ahead of him and didn't answer. Adrienne rolled her eyes. "Why are you so stubborn!?"

"You're one to talk," he replied. Adrienne crossed her arms.

"Fine, have it your way." She quickened her pace again and walked next to Goten. Vegeta shook his head. He felt a little guilty, but how could he tell her he was… scared? Was that it? Was he scared of what he might find when they finally located his son? Vegeta shook his head again. No, he decided. He was the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta: and Vegeta doesn't get scared.

"C'mon, Rienna, we have to hurry!" Aedan called. She glared at him.

"You think I don't know that?!" she snapped. "It's not my fault you fly faster than me!" Aedan laughed. "What's so funny?!"

"You," he said, slowing down a little to match her speed. "I'll carry you if you want."

"No," she said sternly. "You're not carrying me anywhere!"

"Fine, but if the world is destroyed because you can't fly fast enough…" Rienna yelled in frustration.

"You're so aggravating, you know that!?" Aedan grinned.

"Yeah, people tell me that all the time." Rienna laughed.

"You idiot."

"What?" She laughed again.

"You're such a _dork_!"

"I am not!"

"Yes you are!"

"Yeah, well if I'm such a dork, and I can fly faster than you, what are you saying about yourself?" Rienna thought for a minute.

"That I'm an educated slow person?" It was Aedan's turn to laugh.

"Slow, I agree with, but educated… hm, I dunno." Rienna hit him in the head. "Ow! Hey!"

"Sorry, hand slipped," she said with a smirk. "Hard to keep under control at this speed, ya know."

"Well, in that case," Aedan said, increasing his speed again, "I'll stay up here." Rienna shook her head. "Ya know, I'll still carry you if you want." Rienna's eyes almost bugged out.

"AEDAN!"

"Alright, alright!" he said with a laugh. "Just letting you know the offer still stands."

"Well, so does the refusal," she said. Aedan shrugged.

"Suit yourself."

"I will, thanks," Rienna said softly.

"Wha?"

"Nothing! Just shut up and fly!" Aedan shrugged again, and was silent for a while.

"You know, in all the time I've known you, I don't think I've ever seen you this anxious."

"Well, yeah, fate of the world resting on your shoulders kinda makes you uneasy," she answered.

"Guess it does." He looked back at her. "You ok?"

"Yeah," she said quietly. Aedan stared at her with concern.

"You sure?"

"I said yeah, ok? I'm fine!" He looked at her in surprise. Something was definitely wrong. Rienna never acted this way. She noticed him looking at her and sighed. "Hey, I'm sorry, Aedan. I'm a little worried about my family, that's all. I didn't mean to take it out on you." He smiled.

"Hey, it's no big deal. I'd be worried, too." She smiled back at him. It was good to have a friend that was so understanding.

"You know," she said with a smirk, "I might take you up on the offer soon, I'm getting tired." Aedan laughed.

"No, you refused me one too many times," he said, shaking his head. "You'll have to fly all the way there yourself."

"Jerk," she said in mock anger.

"Hey, enough with the name calling!" They both laughed. "How would you like it if every fifth word that came out of my mouth was an insult?"

"I'd find it hilarious," Rienna said with a smile. "I didn't know you were capable of insults."

"Wha!?" Aedan sweat dropped. "Hey!" Rienna laughed.

"You are so pathetic."

"Am not!" Suddenly, Rienna was thrown forward as a silver blur rammed her from behind. She and the blur flew headfirst into the wall, creating a cloud of dust. "What the-!?" The dust finally cleared and Rienna was lying on the floor. "Ri!" Aedan flew over to her and knelt beside her. "Ri, are you ok?" Rienna didn't respond- she was out cold. "C'mon, Ri, snap out of it!" Aedan sat back on his feet and put his hand to his head. "Oh man…" he muttered. "Her dad is going to be kill me…" Laughter came out of nowhere.

"Ah ha ha ha ha! What a wimp! Out already!!" Aedan glared at the ceiling.

"Come out where I can see you, Jaerie!" Jaerie laughed in response.

"No, I don't think I will. Sneak attacks are much more fun." Aedan narrowed his eyes and stood up.

"Afraid then?"

"Ha! Afraid?! Not at all!" she answered, a hit of annoyance in her voice. "If anyone's scared, it's you, Aedan. At least," she said, appearing behind him, "you should be." Aedan whirled around and his eyes widened. There stood Jaerie, except it almost… wasn't. She was completely covered in metal!

"What the he-"

"It's the new and improved me!" she declared proudly. "I think the color's a bit drab, but then again, I'll look good kicking your butt anyway."

"W-what happened!?" Aedan demanded, still getting over the initial shock.

"Aaron simply enhanced my already immense power," she said plainly. "Now I'm even stronger than before!" Aedan took a step backwards. Stronger? "What's the matter, Aedan?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips in satisfaction. "Scared that I might beat you? Or are you scared of what I might do to your girlfriend _after_ I beat you?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Don't jump to conclusions," he said, shaking a finger at her.

"Then you're not scared?" Aedan rolled his eyes.

"Moron," he muttered. Jaerie clenched her fists and glared at him.

"I heard that!" she shouted.

"Then why don't you do something about it?" he asked her, going into his fighting stance.

"I'm getting to it," she said, scoffing at him. She looked down at Rienna, who was still lying on the floor unconscious. "Hm…" Jaerie disappeared and reappeared next to her. Aedan's eyes widened as a sudden pang of fear swept over him.

"Hey, what do you think-"

"Chill, Aedan, I'm not going to hurt her. …Yet," she added with a sneer. "Out like a light, isn't she?" Aedan didn't respond. "She should wake up in about 15 minutes. I only tapped her, after all." Jaerie walked around to her other side and knelt down next to her. "Nasty cut her on her cheek, though. That'll probably leave a scar." Jaerie sighed. "What a shame."

"What are you getting at?" Aedan asked impatiently. Jaerie stood up and stared at him.

"Just giving you a simple assessment of what I can do even at this low level."

"Hmph. I'm not scared of you," Aedan said. "Now let's get this over with," he added, going into his fighting stance. Jaerie went into her pose as well.

"You don't know who you're dealing with," she said with a smirk. "I'm gonna walk all over you!" Aedan laughed.

"We'll see about that."

"Just remember, Aedan," Jaerie added haughtily, "after you're beaten it'll be too late to ask for forgiveness."

Aedan went SS and jumped out of the way as Jaerie tried to slam him in the face. She missed and created a crater in the wall where he'd been standing and bounced off of it, determined to destroy him. "Crap! Get back here!" she shouted at him. He laughed.

"You think I'll just stand there and let you attack me? You're more stupid than I thought!"

"I'll show you!" she exclaimed, pointing at him accusingly. She jumped forward with a war cry and beat him with a blast of attacks. He blocked them all and countered with one of his own, sending her flying. Pain shot through his fist and he looked down at his hand. His knuckles were beet-red. Jaerie recovered from the blow and smirked at him. 

"Don't look so surprised. I'm metallic, after all." Aedan tried to ignore his throbbing hand and attacked her again. He missed when she disappeared and reappeared behind him. He kicked out at her, she dodged, and Jaerie grabbed his foot and threw him into the floor.

"Darn… that one hurt…" he muttered to himself, pushing himself up off the ground and back into fighting stance.

"Ready for more?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips and sneering at him. "Ok then, show me what you're made of! I hope it's better than last time. I could use a challenge for once!"

"You have to remember, though," Aedan retorted, "who beat you last time." Jaerie's smirk faded into a glare and she clenched her fists.

"Shut your big mouth and fight!" she yelled, lunging at him again. "I want to get this over with!"

"Same here," he said, again blocking her attack.

"Then give up!" she yelled, attacking him some more. "I promise to make it as painless as possible!"

"Forget it, you freak!" he shouted back, blasting her with a large beam. The beam faded away, and Jaerie stood there, unfazed.

"Ouch, that one hurt a little," she said with a leer. "Care to try it again? You might bruise me next time."

_*Darn it… She's right. How am I supposed to beat her?*_ Aedan thought. *_There has to be a way… everyone has a weakness… I just have to find it!*_

"Are you wondering how to beat me?" Jaerie asked him. She was feeling quite confident now that she had the upper hand. "Just to let you know," she said, cocking her head, "I don't have a weakness."

_*Crap! Now what!?* _Aedan narrowed his eyes. *_There just has to be some way to beat her!!*_

"There is no way to beat me, Aedan. Join me or die!" she declared. "Either way," she added with a demonic smile of satisfaction, "I win."

"Shut your mouth, dang it!" he shouted at her. "Just shut up! You and Aaron are going to pay for everything you've done!" Jaerie laughed.

"Of course we will, you fool!" she declared. "But not like you think!" She disappeared and reappeared behind him. "We're going to rule this wretched planet!" She laughed again. Aedan gritted his teeth and prepared for another attack.

_*Crap…*_

"Quick, this way!" Jamie yelled, running off down the hall. "It's coming from down here!" The rest of the family followed him as quickly as they could.

"I thought I heard an explosion!" Leah exclaimed.

"There's a fight going on all right," Goku said to Vegeta. He nodded in response.

"Maybe it's Trunks!" Adrienne added hopefully.

"Or Rienna," Darrin said.

"I hope so," said Goten. They all heard laughter as they ran around the corner. Jamie cried out as something large flew passed him and skidded across the hallway.

"What was that?!" Adrienne exclaimed. Whatever it had been groaned and tried to sit up.

"Hey, it's a person!" Goku shouted in surprise. The group rushed over to him- Darrin reached him first.

"Ugh… not again… this is so not working…" the person muttered.

"Are you ok?" Darrin asked him. The fighter was pretty beat up- his lip and left shoulder were bleeding freely, and the rest of his body was decorated with bruises and smaller cuts.

"Yeah," he muttered. "I guess so." He tried to stand up, but his leg collapsed under him.

"Hey, don't try to get up, you're hurt!" Leah told him. Aedan muttered something and relaxed on the ground reluctantly.

"You look familiar," Goku said, cocking his head.

"Dad," Goten said with a sigh, "he looks like Gohan."

"Oh, yeah!" Goku said cheerfully.

"Gohan…?" Aedan recognized the name.

"Yeah, he's my son," Goku replied. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Aedan…" he answered softly.

"Aedan, huh?" Vegeta asked, crossing his arms.

"Yeah…" Aedan looked up at him. "Please, help Rienna…"

"Rienna?" Adrienne asked. "You know her? Where is she?"

"Over there," he said, pointing down the hall. "But look out for Jaerie."

"Who's Jaerie?" Jamie asked. Before Aedan could answer, a metallic being walked calmly down the hallway towards them.

"Metal Cooler?!" Goku and Vegeta exclaimed together.

"No," she answered with a sneer, "but close."

"Metal Cooler's _daughter_!!" they exclaimed again. Jaerie's eye twitched, and her face fell.

"_No_," she said again. "Metal _Jaerie_."

"So _you're_ Jaerie," Goten said.

"Yeah, that's me," she said proudly. "You've heard of me?"

"Only just now," Vegeta answered with a sneer. Jaerie frowned. "What is it you want?"

"To rule the world," she said plainly. "But right now I just want to destroy _him_." She pointed at Aedan, who was nursing a few minor cuts on his arm. He glared up at her.

"Sorry, the boy's with us now," Vegeta told her.

"Hmph. And what's to keep me from destroying you all right now?" she asked.

"Well, for one thing, we're not your average Saiyans," Goku said proudly.

"Apparently you don't know who we are," Adrienne said. Jaerie shrugged.

"Who cares?"

"_You_ will, once you find out," Goten said.

"But by then it might be too late," Darrin said with a sneer. Vegeta stepped forward.

"I'm Vegeta," he said with a smirk. "Maybe Aaron's told you about me?" Jaerie gasped.

"Y-you're Vegeta?!" Vegeta nodded and smirked even more.

"That's right," he said. "Care now?" Jaerie took a step backwards and shook her head.

"I- it doesn't matter!" she said, clenching her fists. "I'll take you on right here, right now!"

"That wouldn't be too wise," Vegeta said, crossing his arms.

"I don't care!"

"She never was too bright," Aedan muttered under his breath.

"I heard that, Kinamora!" Jaerie shouted at him angrily.

"So what?!" Aedan shouted back at her. He stood up and leaned against the wall. "You gonna do something about it?"

"Kinamora…" Adrienne muttered under her breath. "Isn't that the name of the scientist that disappeared several years ago?"

"Yeah," Aedan said. He hung his head. "…He's… my dad."

"You mean he was!" Jaerie laughed. "Stupid old fool!"

"Shut up, Jaerie!" Aedan shouted at her. "My dad was three times better than you'll ever be!" Jaerie just laughed and stuck her tongue out at him.

"You're his son?" Adrienne asked.

"Yeah… Look, it's a long story."

"Sure is," Jaerie said. She yawned. "Long and boring." Aedan growled at her.

"And we don't have any time," Vegeta said impatiently. "So get out of our way or we'll have to kill you."

"Uh huh," Jaerie muttered. "Well, you'd better kill me then, 'cause I'm not letting you through otherwise!"

"Goten, we don't have time," Adrienne told him. "We have to help Rienna and find Aaron."

"I know," Goten said. "I know…"

"Why don't you let us have a shot?" Leah asked. "I've been waiting for a decent fight since we got here!"

"Me too!" Darrin said.

"Yeah," Jamie agreed.

"I dunno…" Goten said.

"Darn it, Brat, let them go!" Vegeta snapped. "We don't have time for this! They can take care of themselves!" Goten glared at Vegeta. What right did he have to tell him how to raise his kids!?

"Dad's right, Goten," Adrienne said. "The kids can handle this on their own." Jamie grinned.

"Thank you, Mom!" Adrienne smiled at him.

"Come back in one piece, guys," Goku said with a wink.

"No problem, Goku," Darrin said, giving him a grin. The adults all prepared to take off. Just before leaving, Vegeta turned around and yelled at him.

"And don't you *_dare_* let Leah out of your sight!" Darrin's cheeks turned slightly pink. Leah laughed and deliberately ran off around the corner.

"H-hey!" Darrin shouted. "Where are you going!?"

"Yeah!?" Jaerie demanded. "I want a fight!" Leah walked back around the corner and stared intently at Jaerie.

"Oh, you'll get one alright," she said. She smirked. "You don't know who you're dealing with."

"Oh, really? Then tell me, Princess Prissy." Leah growled and clenched her fists. "Or will your boyfriend have to tell me?" Jaerie said, gesturing towards Darrin.

"That's it!" Leah yelled.

"No, Leah!" Darrin held her back and Jaerie looked over at Jamie.

"You know," she said, looking back and forth between Jamie and Darrin, "you're both kinda cute. Especially with the tails." Jamie blushed and his tail ducked behind his back. Darrin did the same.

"Yeah, well, uh…" he stuttered. Leah growled again.

"Yeah, you used to think I was cute, too," Aedan said. "'Til I kicked your butt."

"You say you kicked my butt, but looks who's been beaten to a pulp," Jaerie shot back.

"I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"Not for long." Jaerie gestured to Jamie, Leah, and Darrin. "Once I kill off these pests, it's the Otherworld for you!" Aedan scoffed.

"Well *_someone_* seems a bit over-confident," Darrin said. Jaerie shrugged.

"The cute ones are always the weakest." Aedan was about to open his mouth to say something smart, but Jaerie shot him a dirty look. "Excepting me, of course." She disappeared and reappeared behind Darrin. "Too bad I have to kill you," she said, tugging his tail gently. Darrin sweat-dropped and blushed. 

"H-hey!" Leah growled again.

"Hands off, witch!" she shouted. Jaerie disappeared and reappeared next to Jamie. Jamie also sweat-dropped and took a step away from her. She approached him slowly.

"You know, if you surrender and ask for forgiveness I might just spare your life," she told him in a sweet, seductive tone.

"N- no way!" Jamie said, shaking his head. Jaerie sighed.

"Fine…" She disappeared and reappeared in her original position. "Too bad, though…" she said, looking both boys over again. "Our kids would have been so cute…" Leah growled and went Super Saiyan.

"Ok, *_that's_* it, you flirty old hag!" she shouted angrily.

"*_W-w-what_*_ did you say!?" Jaerie demanded, her eyes flashing with rage._

"You heard me! Now come fight me face to face before I *_really_* get mad and just blow you to pieces!"

"Gosh…" Aedan said. "She's really mad." Jamie nodded.

"No kidding."

"Her power-level is enormous!" Aedan exclaimed. He glanced over at Darrin. "Lucky guy. Too bad I hadn't met her sooner."

"Hey!" Darrin yelled. Aedan smiled.

"Just kidding," he said with a wink. Darrin blushed slightly and didn't answer. Aedan's smile faded.

"I need to check on Rienna…" he said softly. "Can one of you fly me over?"

"I will," Jamie said, nodding. "You and Leah can handle her for now, right, Darrin?" Darrin grinned.

"Are you kidding? C'mon, Jamie, think about who you're talking to." Jamie smiled.

"Thought so. C'mon," he said to Aedan. "We can just transmit."

"Transmit?" Aedan asked. Jamie nodded and held out his hand.

"Here, take my hand."

"Ok…" Immediately, both boys disappeared and reappeared next to Rienna. "Ok, _that_ was weird!" Jamie laughed.

"The first time it is, but you get used to it." He knelt down next to Rienna. "What happened?"

"Jaerie knocked her out while we weren't looking," Aedan said. He too knelt next to Rienna. "C'mon, Ri, wake up…"

"So how do you know Ri?" Jamie asked. Aedan didn't look up.

"We grew up together," he answered, flipping Rienna over and lifting her head. "She's my best friend."

"Just a friend?" Aedan didn't answer.

"So how do *_you_* know her?" he asked instead.

"She's my cousin," Jamie answered.

"…Oh." He was silent for a minute. "Hey, Jamie, right?"

"Yeah."

"Tell me something, Jamie… …Who's Gohan?" Jamie frowned.

"Gohan?" He eyed Aedan suspiciously. "Why?"

"Well, everyone says I look like him…" Jamie laughed.

"Gohan's my uncle," he said. "Funny guy. Kinda weird, though, you do look a lot like him."

"Yeah, odd…" Jamie shrugged.

"Oh well," he said. "It's not important." He looked down at his cousin. "How is she?"

"She's ok," Aedan said, "just unconscious. She'll be fine. Have one heck of a headache when she wakes up, though." Jamie smiled.

"Headaches we can deal with. I dunno what we'd do if…" He didn't finish his sentence and looked away. "So much has happened…"

"Yeah. I couldn't bear it if something happened to Ri." A few tears filled Aedan's eyes. Jamie looked over at him.

"Hey, don't start crying on me!" Jamie told him. "You said yourself she'd be ok."

"Yeah," Aedan said with a smile. He blinked back the tears and grinned. "She's going to be so mad when she wakes up."

"Sure will be," Jamie said with a laugh. "Ri's never been one to just sit back and watch."

"That's for sure." Rienna's eyes twitched and she moaned almost inaudibly. "Hey, I think she's waking up!" Aedan exclaimed excitedly. "Ri! Rienna!" Rienna moaned again.

"Oh… my head…" she muttered.

"Ri!" Jamie shouted happily. "Hey, wake up! It's me!" Rienna opened her eyes and looked around drowsily. She blinked a few times in the bright light.

"Huh…? J… Jamie?" The two blurry figures above her finally came into focus. "Jamie!" Her cousin smiled down at her.

"Welcome back, sleepy-head. Have a nice nap?" Rienna sat up and looked around.

"What… happened?"

"Jaerie knocked you out," Aedan said. "You've been asleep for a while now." Rienna growled.

"Jaerie… She's gonna get it this time!" She suddenly realized that Aedan's face was fairly beat up. "Huh? Aedan, you're bleeding!"

"What?" He felt his lip, and looked at his finger where he had touched it. He laughed. "Guess I am."

"But it's all over!" she protested. "What happened to you!? Look, your shoulder's bleeding, too!" She gently wiped away some of the blood on her shirtsleeve.

"H-hey, Rienna!" he protested. He tried to pull away. "I'm ok, really!"

"Oh, no, you're not!" she exclaimed. "Quit being an idiot!" Jamie laughed.

"What's so funny?" the other two asked together. They looked at each other and laughed. Jamie shook his head.

"And yet you wonder why I laugh at you…"

"Hey, Jamie," Rienna asked suddenly, "where's Leah?" Jamie nodded back down the hallway.

"She and Darrin are fighting that Jaerie girl. She really got fired up," he told her.

"Really? How- oh, wait, lemme guess," Rienna said, stopping herself. "I bet she was hitting on you and Darrin, wasn't she?" Jamie blushed.

"Uh…"

"Don't worry about it, Jamie," she said. "Jaerie is a very… unstable individual." Aedan laughed.

"Well _that's_ one I haven't heard before," he said. Jamie smiled and looked back to where the fight had begun.

"I know they can probably handle her, but I can't help but worry…" he said softly.

"Then let's go," Rienna said, standing up. The other two stood up as well. "I'll take her on any day!"

"Ri, you really shouldn't-" Rienna's eyes flashed with anger and she glared at Aedan.

"Don't tell me what I should and shouldn't be doing, Aedan," she said sternly.

"But Ri-"

"Just stay out of my way!" she told him, pushing past Aedan and Jamie and walking off determinedly. Aedan narrowed his eyes, and he jogged to catch up with her. He quickly got ahead of her and planted his feet firmly in the ground before grabbing her arm and stopping her. 

"Aedan! Let go!" He shook his head and stared into her eyes with the same determination.

"I'm not letting go." Rienna tried to pull away from him.

"Just let me go and-"

"Stop it, Rienna!" She stopped struggling and looked at him curiously. He never called her by her full name unless he had something important to say. "You're in no condition to fight her! And even if you were, you need to calm down and go into this with a clear head!" He let go of her arm, and she took a few steps backwards. "Let Jamie and the others handle it. This is just as much their fight as it is ours." He crossed his arms. "Either way, I'm not letting you through." She stared back at him.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. His expression softened and he looked at her with tenderness in his eyes.

"Because I don't… want you getting hurt." Rienna took another step backwards in surprise.

"You don't want me to get hurt…?" Aedan didn't respond. "What…" She shook her head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Aedan hesitated. "I mean… exactly what I said," he said finally. "I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want you to get beaten up. I don't want you lose. And I _don't_ want you to fight her."

"Aedan…" He took a few steps closer and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I don't want anything to happen to you, Ri," he said softly. "I don't want to lose you." He stared into her eyes. "You're all I've got." Rienna looked down at the floor.

"That's…" she said, not lifting her head. Her voice started to crack as she continued. "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me…" Rienna's shoulders began to shudder as she began to cry. Aedan sweat-dropped.

"H-hey, it's ok," he told her. *_Great, now I've made her cry…* Rienna shook her head and looked up at him with a teary smile. She laughed and hugged him. Aedan's face went red. "Um, h-hey… uh…"_

"Thank you," she said softly. "Thanks for everything."

"Uh… no problem." Rienna stood back and wiped a few tears from her cheeks.

"Ok, I'll stay," she said. "I won't fight." Aedan smiled.

"Good."

"Someone should go look for my dad, anyway," she added. Aedan nodded.

"Good idea," Jamie said.

"You going to be alright by yourself?"

"Of course," she said with a wink. "I'm not the six-year-old expert at getting lost in the Dollar Store anymore." Aedan laughed.

"Guess not."

"Wait, you used to get lost in the _Dollar Store?" Jamie asked in disbelief. Rienna blushed._

"Uh… " she cleared her throat. "Now is not the time to be discussing childhood memories!" she declared. Aedan started snickering.

"Yeah. Too bad," he said with a grin.

"Well at least I didn't drink the hummingbird nectar thinking it was Kool-Aid and then run around the house on a sugar-rush."

"An honest mistake!" Aedan protested.

"Hey, I thought you said we didn't have time for this?" Jamie asked, a sly tone to his voice. Both of them stopped, blushed, and sweat-dropped.

"Oh…"

"Uh, right…" Aedan turned to Rienna. "Since telling you to stay out of trouble wouldn't do me much good: Try not to get into _too much trouble." She grinned._

"You know me too well for your own good," she said.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Look at what it's gotten me so far." Aedan pointed to his various cuts and bruises.

"See, what'd I tell you?" she asked with a smile.

"Aren't you gonna go look for you dad?" Jamie asked. "I don't mean to be pushy, but if you're gonna go, you'd better go now." Rienna looked a bit uneasy. She bit her bottom lip.

"Guess you're right," she said.

"What's the matter?"

"Now that it comes down to it, I don't know if I should."

"Would you get out of here?!" Aedan exclaimed. He turned her around and pushed her down the hall.

"Hey, Aedan, what are you doing? Stop pushing! Hey!!"

"Then get outta here," he told her.

"Alright, alright, sheesh. And here I was thinking we had broken through you're stubborn side."

"Nope. Now leave."

"Fine! But don't think I won't come back if I feel the need to!"

"So leave already," Aedan said, crossing his rms. Rienna put her hands on her hips.

"Fine!" she said. "Moron." She disappeared. Aedan sweat-dropped.

"Hey!" Aedan sighed. "Oh well…"

"Oh yeah," Jamie said. "She _definitely likes you." Aedan sweat-dropped again._

"Wha?!" Jamie shook his head.

"It's so obvious." Aedan blushed.

"I- is not!"

"Trust me on this one. She likes you." Aedan cleared his throat and regained his composure.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked. Jamie shrugged. 

"I dunno. Thought you might like to know." Jamie turned around and started off down the hall towards the fight. "Just don't get yourself killed. I dunno if she can take much more." Aedan nodded.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on it."

Darrin glared at Jaerie, who was laughing over the unconscious Jamie. Aedan was already knocked out in another area of the hall "Ha! Now I can have some fun with him!" she exclaimed happily. "Who's next?" She turned to Leah. "How about you, Princess?" Leah clenched her fists.

"Stop calling me that!" Jaerie laughed.

"What's the matter?" she asked, using a little child's voice. "Don't like da fact dat I beat up your baby bwother?"

"Shut up, you old hag!" Leah shot back.

"Again with the name calling," Jaerie said, sighing. "Two words: anger management."

"You're one to be talking, witch!" Leah told her.

"You stupid wench- AH!" Darrin sent her flying into the wall from behind. Jaerie picked herself up and glared at him. "Hey! What did you do that for!?"

"You are annoying me," Darrin said simply. "I'm ready to get this over with."

"Ooh, short and to the point," Jaerie said "I like that in a guy." Darrin narrowed his eyes, and Leah's eyes flashed with rage.

"Stop flirting and start fighting!" Darrin commanded. Jaerie shrugged.

"Ok then." She disappeared and reappeared next to him. "Shame I have to mess up your pretty face." Leah's fists began to shake as her anger continued to build.

"You know, you're starting to tick me off!" Darrin shouted, punching at Jaerie. She blocked it.

"And strong, too," she added with a smirk. He punched at her a few more times, then kicked her, and she blocked. He smirked.

"Gotcha," he said.

"What?" Jaerie felt something wrap around her waist and throw her backwards. Darrin's tail curled back into its normal position and he smiled with satisfaction.

"Way to go, Darrin!" Leah cheered.

"What… was that…?" Jaerie asked in a daze. She shook her head to rid herself of her confusion.

"You blocked my arms and my legs," Darrin said, "but you forgot my tail." His tail waved at her mockingly. Jaerie narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, yeah, your tail…" She climbed out of her crater in the wall and stared at it. "Isn't that… a Saiyan's weak spot?" Darrin's eyes widened slightly.

"What?" Jaerie disappeared and reappeared behind Darrin.

"Look out!" Leah cried. Too late; Jaerie had already grabbed his tail and pulled- hard. Darrin yelped in pain as she swung him around and threw him into the ground. "Darrin!" Darrin winced and tried to get up, but Jaerie was on top of him with a tight grip on his tail. Leah was about to run forward to his rescue, when:

"Move and I yank," she told them. Leah narrowed her eyes.

"What a cheap trick!"

"Not really," Jaerie replied. "It's not my fault he brought it up. In fact, I never would have thought of it." She bent over so she was close to his face. "I owe my victory all to you, *_sweetie*." Darrin narrowed his eyes. He was going to have to do it. Darrin braced himself for the pain, flipped over, and jumped to his feet. Jaerie fell over with his tail still in her hand and pulled in shock before letting go. Darrin collapsed in agony as pain shot through his tail to his spine, but he tried to stand up anyway. Leah rushed over to him._

"Darrin, are you ok?!"

"Yeah," he said, putting a hand on his back. "Just be sore in the morning. Small price to pay for saving the world." Jaerie stood back up and glared at him.

"What a dirty trick!" she exclaimed. "You weren't supposed to do that!"

"What, escape? That was easy," Darrin told her. "Now for the hard part."

"Well, harder, anyway," Leah added.

"Ah!!" Jaerie flew into another wall. Jamie and Aedan had woken up, and the four of them were giving her quite a beating.

"Gonna call me princess now?" Leah asked her, a smirk on her face. 

"Give it up, Jaer," Aedan told her.

"I think we've got you beaten," Jamie said. Aedan nodded. Jaerie winced and struggled to stand.

"Not… yet, you haven't!" Jaerie shouted suddenly, her eyes glowing red.

"Where'd all that power come from?!" Darrin exclaimed. Jaerie laughed as swirls of bright energy twisted around her glowing body.

"If I'm going down, you're coming down with me!" she declared.

"What?!" Leah cried.

"She's gonna self-destruct!" Darrin shouted.

"Get down!" Aedan yelled. Jaerie laughed again as the energy surged past the breaking point and light engulfed them all.

"Trunks!" Trunks stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"Adrienne?" Odd, there was no one behind him… Suddenly, she and the rest ran around the corner. His face lit up and he grinned ear to ear. "Adrienne!"

"Trunks!" She ran to him and hugged him.

"It's so good to see you!" he exclaimed. "Are you ok?" Adrienne nodded.

"I'm alright," she said.

"Good." Trunks looked past Adrienne and saw Goten. He smiled. "Hey!" Goten grinned back.

"Hiya, Trunks!"

"Hi, Trunks!" Goku said cheerfully.

"Wow, Goku too!" Trunks exclaimed. "Are you feeling ok?"

"As always!" Goku replied. Trunks spotted his father. He was frowning and had his arms crossed.

"Dad, you don't look so good…"

"Hi to you, too, *_son*," Vegeta said sarcastically. Trunks looked quizzically at Adrienne, who shrugged. Trunks shook his head._

"Where's Leah?" he asked, realizing she wasn't there. "And Jamie?"

"They're… fighting?" Goku said uncertainly.

"They insisted on staying with Ri," Goten explained.

"With Ri?" Trunks crossed his arms. "But she was fighting that prissy red-head…"

"Yeah… They still are," Goku said. "And Darrin, too."

"Horrible idea, leaving them with that boy," Vegeta muttered.

"But Dad," Adrienne protested, "it was _your idea!"_

"And I wish I'd never _thought it!" he declared._

"Wait, what boy?" Trunks asked.

"That Aedan kid," Goten said. "He was awfully worried about Rienna."

"Wait, wait, _wait_!" Trunks exclaimed. "What happened to Ri!?"

"She… was unconscious when we left," Adrienne said softly.

"What do you mean, unconscious!? You left her like that?!" Trunks started to freak out. "My gosh… how could I have been so stupid!?"

"You get it from Vegeta," Goku said with a grin.

"Shut up, Kakarott!" Vegeta yelled warningly.

"I'm going back!" Trunks declared suddenly.

"What?!" they all exclaimed.

"But we have to find Aaron!" Goku exclaimed. "Trunks, I understand how you feel, and I don't like it either, but she'll be ok!" Trunks started to protest, but stopped when a figure zoomed across the hallway at the intersection past Goku.

"But- Huh?"

"What is it, Trunks?" Adrienne asked.

"Dad!?" The figure flew back to the hallway they were on and stared down the hall. Trunks sweat-dropped.

"Ri!?"

"Wow!" Rienna exclaimed, flying up to them and landing next to Vegeta. "I can't believe I found you this quickly!"

"What are you doing here? Are you alright?"

"Sure, Dad, I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?" Trunks sighed.

"Never mind."

"Where are Leah and Jamie?" Adrienne asked.

"Fighting that witch," Rienna said, glaring back down the hallway as she said 'witch.' "But it's ok, they have it under-" Rienna stopped short as a large explosion rocked the building. "-control!?"

"W-w-w-what i-is t-that?!" Trunks stuttered over the noise.

"I d-d-d-dunno!" Adrienne exclaimed. The rocking stopped, and Ri fell over only to be caught by her grandfather.

"Thanks." Vegeta smiled a little and helped her up.

"What do you think that was?" Goten asked. Goku shook his head.

"Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good."

"Ri, do you know where that came from?" Trunks asked. She nodded.

"…It came from where I left the others…"

"Rienna, take us there *_now*," Vegeta told her. Rienna nodded._

"Follow me."

When they arrived on the scene, Trunks and the others gaped at what they saw. The hallway was collapsed at the far end, and rubble littered what little walking space was left. Rienna rushed ahead of them towards the big pile of debris. "Aedan?!" she shouted, her hands cupped over her mouth. "Jamie! Leah! Darrin!?"

"Jamie!" Adrienne called. Goten and the others joined them.

"Leah!"

"Darrin!"

"Where are you!?"

"Leah!!"

"They're still alive, I can feel them!" Goku said.

"They must be under the rubble!" Goten said. The group began searching for any sign of the missing persons. Rienna searched a large pile of rocks, but stopped when she heard movement behind her.

"Huh?" She turned around and found that one of the piles was moving. "Hey, hold on!"

"What?"

"Hey, Ri, did you find something?" Trunks called.

"Yeah!" she answered, beginning to dig through the pile. "Hey, come give me a hand!" Adrienne and Trunks ran over to help, and soon they had uncovered the person underneath.

"Jamie!" Adrienne exclaimed. 

"Mom?" Jamie groaned. She hugged her son.

"Thank goodness you're ok!"

"Hey, Goten, we found Jamie!" Trunks yelled down the hall.

"Really?!" Goten, Goku, and Vegeta were there in a flash. Goten also hugged the young Saiyan. "Jamie! Oh, thank Dende!"

"Mom, Dad!" Jamie sat up on his own and looked around. "Where's Leah?"

"We're trying to find them," Goku said. Jamie stood up and looked around.

"Then let's keep looking!" he said. Adrienne and Goten stood up as well.

"Jamie, why don't you lie down for a second," Goku told him. Jamie shook his head.

"No way! I have to find my sister!"

So, because they were unable to talk him out of it, Jamie joined their search. On the other side of the cave-in, Darrin sat up and looked around lazily.

"Whoa… what happened?" He looked down at Leah, who was lying in his lap, unconscious but unharmed. He smiled a little and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. Darrin gently moved her aside and laid her down on the ground. He then stood up and walked over to the collapsed walls. "Oh boy," he muttered under his breath. "This is going to be fun."

Whee! Still moving, slowly rolling.... About time I had a story I could get into. ^_^ Anyway, please, r/r and tell me what you think!!


	8. The Nightmare System

Syndrome

DISCLAIMER: I do *_not_* own DBZ (Hee hee…. _Yet_… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!

. : : Chapter 8 : The Nightmare System : : .

"There's no sign of them anywhere!" Vegeta exclaimed exasperatedly. Darrin's ears perked up. Was that Vegeta's voice that he'd heard just now? Rienna hung her head.

"Aedan…"

"They're around here, Vegeta, trust me!" Goku told him.

"Trust you!? I've _never trusted you!" Vegeta shot back._

"Well trust me now!" Goku yelled back at him.

"HEY!!!" Jamie shouted at the top of his lungs. Everyone stopped and stared at them. He crossed his arms. "Leah and Darrin and that Aedan guy are still out there, and I'm not giving up on them!" Rienna looked up.

"Yeah, me either!"

"They must be on the other side of that wall," Trunks said, pointing to the collapsed end of the hallway.

"We are!" Darrin shouted suddenly.

"Did you guys hear that?" Adrienne asked.

"We are!" Darrin repeated again. He almost jumped for joy. "We're here!!"

"Darrin!?" The group rushed over to the wall of rubble.

"Darrin, are you ok!?" Goku asked.

"Where's Leah?!" Vegeta and Jamie chorused.

"She's with me," Darrin said. "She's unconscious, but she's ok." Goten, Vegeta, and Jamie all sighed with relief.

"Good."

"Is Aedan over there?" Rienna called. 

"Huh? Aedan?" Darrin looked around. "Not that I see…"

"Oh…" Rienna hung her head. Trunks put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, kiddo, we'll find him," he said. She nodded slowly.

_*I hope so…*_

"I think we can just blast this rubble away," Goku said. "What do you think, Vegeta?" Vegeta crossed his arms.

"Easily," he said.

"Ok!" Goku said. "Hey Darrin," he shouted, "take Leah and move her as far away from that wall as you can!"

"Alright!" Darrin did as he was told and found a makeshift shelter off to the side of the hall.

"And if she has one scratch when this is over-"

"She won't!" Darrin said, cutting Vegeta off.

"Ok, here goes!" Goku Kamehameha-ed it and blasted right through the pile. Darrin looked up from where he was shielding Leah and smiled.

"Great job," he said. Vegeta, Jamie, Goten, and Adrienne rushed over to the two.

"Is she ok?" Darrin stood up with her in his arms. He handed her to Vegeta.

"She's fine," he said. "Not a scratch on her," he added with a smile. Vegeta scoffed and looked her over.

"Hmph. Good job, shrimp."

"Shrimp!?" Darrin sweat-dropped.

"Just ignore him, Darrin. That's his way of saying thanks," Adrienne explained.

"What happened here?" Trunks asked.

"That Jaerie girl self-destructed herself," Jamie said.

"She's an android," Rienna explained.

"We thought we had her beat," Darrin said. "Guess we got too cocky." He rubbed his sore tail. "Me especially."

"At least it's over," Adrienne said. Darrin nodded.

"Yeah."

"Not quite," Goku said. "We still have to beat Aaron." Goten crossed his arms.

"That sleazy, good-for-nothing-" "When I get my hands on him-" Trunks said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Ri," Adrienne said quietly. "What's wrong?"

"It's Aedan… he's… still missing." She looked up at her aunt with sad eyes. "Where could he be?" Adrienne put her arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, we'll find him, ok?"

"I know we will…" Rienna answered. "That's not what I'm afraid of…"

"Well, the only thing I know to do is to split up," Trunks said. "He saved Ri, so I guess I owe him one."

"Yeah!" Goten cheered. "Let's take different ends of the hall."

"Alright," Jamie said.

"Darrin, Rienna, Goten, and I will take this end," Trunks said, nodding to his left.

"Then Kakarott and the rest of us will take this one," Vegeta said, though he was a bit unhappy at being stuck with Goku.

"Good. Then let's get- huh?" Goku stopped. "Hey, I think Leah's waking up!"

"Really?!" Darrin's face lit up like a light bulb. Leah sat up and looked around.

"Where am I? Huh?" She looked up to find everyone smiling down at her. "Whoa, when did you guys get here?!"

"A little while ago," Goten explained.

"Are you ok?" Darrin asked her.

"We were worried about you!" Jamie told her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Leah looked around at the damaged hallway. "What happened? Oh, wait, I remember now." The hair on her neck bristled at the thought of Jaerie. "That evil witch!"

"Well, she's gone now," Rienna said, a bit of satisfaction in her voice.

"Good riddance," Leah said, standing up and brushing herself off. Rienna snickered.

"Yeah, something like that," she said.

"At least she can't flirt with anyone anymore," Jamie said with a shudder. Darrin also shuddered and backed himself up against the nearest wall. Rienna laughed.

"Wait, back up, " Goten said "I'm confused. Flirt?"

"Never mind, Dad," Jamie said, blushing a little. "It's not important."

"Hey, Jamie, at least she thought you were cute," Rienna said with a laugh. "And your tail, too!" Darrin tucked his tail behind his back, and Jamie did the same.

"That's not funny, Ri!" Jamie shouted, blushing even more. Leah growled.

"Ok, _that's_ enough. I don't need any more reminders of that moron!" Darrin nodded.

"Y-yeah."

"Well, at any rate, we need to find your friend before it's too late," Adrienne said. Rienna nodded.

"Yeah."

The two teams split up and walked to their designated ends of the hall.

"So Ri," Leah said, following her cousin and helping her with a very large pile of rocks. "Who is this Aedan guy?"

"He's a friend of mine," she explained without looking up. "We grew up together."

"Oh…" Leah pulled a few heavy rocks off the top of the pile. "He must mean a lot to you, then." Rienna nodded.

"Yeah…" The two girls continued to dismantle their pile. "…His dad took me in," she said after a while. "After I left, I mean. So I've lived with his family ever since." Rienna stopped moving the rocks and stared at her dirty hands. "Now they're all gone… all except Aedan." She looked up at Leah. "That's why I have to find him. He's the only one I have left." Leah watched her as she resumed her work with sympathy in her eyes.

"I'm sorry…" she said quietly.

"Don't be," Rienna said with a small smile. "It's not your fault. You've got nothing to apologize for. We just need to hurry and find him." Leah nodded.

"Right!" Trunks smiled. He was glad his little girl had so much hope left. He himself wasn't sure that the boy had survived, but until they found him, they couldn't be sure. And besides, Jamie, Leah, and Darrin had lived, why should he be any different? Goten smiled as well.

"_Something_ tells me they're more than just friends," he said to Trunks, a sly tone to his voice. Trunks grinned.

"Yeah… but don't talk to her about it. You know how teenagers are."

"Yeah." Both of them laughed. Leah turned around and looked at them with an odd expression on her face.

"What's up with them?" she asked.

"I dunno, but don't talk to them about it. You know how dads are." Leah nodded.

"Yeah." 

Darrin sighed. "Nope, not under that pile…" He stood up and walked over to the girls. "You've got a pretty big pile there. Can I join you?"

"Sure," Leah said.

"Knock yourself out," Rienna said with a smile.

"Yeah," Leah agreed, "we need all the help we can get." Darrin smiled.

"Thanks." He sat down beside them and started to work. "At least this way I won't be lonely," he said with a grin. Leah laughed.

"You know, you can always come talk to us if you need to."

"So… how long do you stay out of the gravity room these days?" Rienna asked. Darrin grinned.

"A lot  more than he used to, that's for sure," Leah said.

"Actually, it was Leah that persuaded me to come out of hiding," Darrin said with a laugh. "She convinced me to come out of my shell once in a while. There's so much more to life than fighting."

"Though it's a pretty big part," Leah said. She and Rienna grinned.

"At least in our family," Rienna added.

"I hadn't noticed," Darrin said with a smile.

Down on the other end of the hall, Jamie and Goku were carrying their own conversation. "Hey, Grandpa," Jamie said.

"Yeah, Jamie?" Goku answered.

"Do you really think we'll find him?"

"I dunno, Jamie," Goku said. "But we've gotta try."

"Yeah," Adrienne said, setting down a large rock and wiping her forehead. "We can't just give up on him."

"I don't see why not," Vegeta snarled. "We need to be looking for Aaron, not for some lost kid!"

"Dad," Adrienne said sternly, "he needs our help. And he's Rienna's friend. Do you know what she'd do if we just gave up?" Vegeta didn't answer. "Well?"

"Alright, alright!" he snapped. "We'll find him!" He hated it when other people were right. Adrienne smiled.

"Thought you'd see it that way."

"Hmph."

Out of the corner of his eye, Jamie saw something gleaming in what little light they had. "Huh?" He stood up, walked over to it, and picked it up.

"What'd you find, Jamie?" Goku asked.

"Somebody's ring," Jamie said. "Looks like a class ring." He cupped his hands over his mouth. "Hey, Rienna, come here a second!" Rienna turned around.

"Huh?"

"I think he wants to show you something," Leah said. Rienna stood up.

"Be right back!" She jogged down to where Jamie was standing. "What's up?"

"Is this his?" he asked, handing her the ring. Rienna stared at it. The metal felt cool and clean lying there in her worn hand.

"Yeah…it's his alright. I remember… he was so proud of it when he came home with it that day," she said, smiling. She looked up at Jamie. "He must be around here, somewhere!"

"Great! Then we're on the right track!" Leah cheered. Rienna whole disposition brightened.

"He _has_ to be around here!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Trying calling him," Adrienne suggested. Rienna cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted.

"Aedan!! Aedan, can you hear me? Aedan-"

"Hold it!" Jamie said, turning around. "I thought I heard something." The group went silent and listened intently. Sure enough, they all heard a faint moaning a little ways away.

"Aedan!" Rienna cried. She rushed over to where the groaning was coming from and pushed away the rocks. Underneath, battered and bruised, lay Aedan. "Oh my gosh!" The rest of the group hurried over to them. "Dad," she said, "help me move some of these!" Trunks picked up a few of the rocks that still covered his body and tossed them aside. Rienna scooted closer to Aedan and gently lifted his head. "Aedan, wake up! It's me!" Aedan moaned softly. "C'mon, Aedan, please!" she pleaded. "Wake up!" Aedan's eyes quivered.

"Hey, look!" Leah exclaimed.

"Stop yelling…" Aedan whined quietly. "Let me sleep…"

"Aedan!"

"Wha…? Ri- Rienna…?" Rienna smiled.

"Yeah, it's me." Aedan slowly opened his eyes and he looked up at her.

"Rienna… so it wasn't a dream…" he said with a smile.

"What wasn't?"

"I thought I heard you calling my name." Rienna smiled again. "Are the others ok?" Darrin, Leah, and Jamie all peered over Rienna's shoulder.

"Yup, we're fine!" Leah said cheerfully.

"Thanks for asking," Jamie said with a grin.

"No problem," Aedan said softly.

"We found your ring," Rienna said, holding it up for him to see. He grinned.

"Hey, my class ring! You can hold onto it for me, I don't need it." He laughed, but his laughter stopped short as he winced and put his hand to his side.

"Aedan?" Rienna looked from his pained face to his hand. There was a puddle of blood running down his side to the ground. "Oh man! You're bleeding like crazy!"

"Am I?" Aedan lifted his hand and stared at it. His shiny red palm was proof enough. "Crud. Wondered why that hurt so much."

"We've got to get him out of here," Adrienne said. "Or…" She didn't finish her sentence.

"Don't say that!" Rienna shouted. "I am not going to lose him!"

"Ri, let it go."

"What?" She turned around to face him.

"Just let it go," Aedan repeated. "I'm dying. I'm not gonna make it."

"You're wrong, Aedan!"

"No, Ri…" She shook her head.

"NO!" She glared at him angrily. "How can you just give up like that!?"

"It's not my first choice, if that's what you mean," Aedan said.

"Then pick another option!" she shouted.

"I wish I could, trust me." She shook her head and mentally cursed as the tears started to flow.

"It's not fair!" she moaned. "I've lost my brother _and my friend today! I can't lose you, too!"_

"You're not gonna lose me, Ri. Not ever," he told her.

"Don't give me that crap!" she screamed defiantly. "It'll never be the same, no matter what you say!" Aedan sighed and closed his eyes.

"I know…"

"Then stop!" She burst into tears. "Stop…!" Aedan reached up and brushed her cheek with his hand.

"Ri… please, don't cry… You're going to make *_me* cry. I *__hate* crying in front of other people." She laughed. "That's my girl." Rienna blushed._

"Aedan… I dunno what I'm gonna do without you," she said finally.

"You'll think of something."

"Aedan, I'm serious!" she cried, more tears streaming down her face. "That's not funny at all!" He frowned.

"Oh, hey, I'm sorry… I was just trying to cheer you up." Rienna didn't answer. "Well, you told me not to give you any of that mushy crap…" Rienna burst into tears and wrapped her arms around his neck. Aedan sweat-dropped. Why did girls have to be so emotional? "Oh, jeez…! Rienna… I… I didn't mean to-"

"You're such a MORON!" she yelled through her tears. Aedan hugged her back and smiled.

"Right to the end," he admitted. "Hey, I'm sorry I haven't always been the best friend in the world to you."

"What are you talking about!?"  Rienna asked, sitting back up to stare at him. "You're the best friend I've ever had!"

"Really?

"Of course!" Aedan smiled.

"Thanks Ri." She nodded.

"No problem."

"Oh, it's so sweet…" Leah said quietly. Darrin's arms folded securely around her waist. She leaned back against him and smiled sadly.

Aedan sighed and leaned back. "Does it hurt?" Rienna asked softly. He shook his head.

"Not enough to matter. Not anymore."

"Oh…" Rienna looked down at her knees. "Good." Aedan closed his eyes and didn't answer. She looked up at him. "Aedan?" When he didn't answer, she started to freak out. "Aedan!?"

"That's it, Ri…" Trunks said gently. "It's over." She hung her head.

"No… No!" She shook her head defiantly. "It wasn't supposed to be this way…" Trunks knelt beside her and hugged her from behind.

"I know…" he said, resting his chin on her head. He started to rock her back and forth gently.

"Why do I keep losing people??" she demanded. "Every time I get close to someone, something happens to them!" She shook her head. "It's all my fault…"

"No it's not," he told her.

"If I had been here…"

"You couldn't have done anything."

"Yes I could have…" Trunks shook his head.

"Don't blame yourself for something you can't do anything about," he said softly. Rienna closed her eyes and pushed the tears from her eyes. They slid down her cheeks and dripped down onto Trunks' hands. He hugged her tighter. "Hey, it's ok…"

"He was my best friend…" she sobbed.

"I know, Ri." She laid her head back against his shoulder.

"It's not fair… Why couldn't it have been me?"

"Don't say that," Trunks said firmly. "What makes you think your life is any less valuable than his?" Rienna didn't answer. "_Everyone's important, Ri." She nodded and continued to cry silently. Her tears slowed, and she started sniffling. "Are you ok now?" Rienna nodded again. "You sure?"_

"Yeah," she said softly. "Let's go. Before I start crying again and hold us up even more."

"Are you sure you're ok?" Vegeta asked.

"Yeah." She gently shifted Aedan so that he was lying on the floor instead of her lap and stood up. "It's time I stopped feeling sorry for myself and got some real work done." Trunks stood up and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Time to stop that virus." She nodded and smiled.

"Right."

"Those fools," Aaron said to himself. "It's too late for that now. If they wanted to stop me, they should have let him die alone instead of wasting time!" He laughed. "Still, it's a shame. That boy had so much potential…" He shrugged. "Oh well. Life goes on!" He circled his precious machine, checking it over for any possible defects. "My marvelous machine…" He gloated as he stood back and admired his work. "Only I could think up such a plan!" He smiled evilly and stepped closer to his machine. Aaron flipped up the case on a large green button. "Prepare to perish, you ignorant fools!" He pressed the button forcefully and laughed. "Die!"

"Wait!" Rienna said suddenly. The group stopped and turned around.

"What is it?" Trunks asked.

"Give me a second," she said. She reached back and undid the clasp on her chain. She pulled Aedan's ring out of her pocket and slipped it on the chain. It slid down until it was hanging next to her mother's ring. Rienna clasped the chain back together and slipped it back under her shirt. "There. Now I have a little bit of both worlds." She walked up beside them. "I'm ready now."

"Good," Trunks said.

"Let's get going," Vegeta said impatiently. "We've spent too much time here already."

"Sorry," Rienna said softly.

"Don't mind him, Ri," Trunks said, glaring at his father. "Just don't listen to him." Vegeta shrugged.

"Just telling it like it is."

"Well you're _not_ helping," Trunks said sternly. He put his arm around Rienna's shoulders and started walking with her. "Come on, Ri, let's go."

"That was harsh, Vegeta," Goku said, following them.

"What?? I didn't mean anything by it!" he shouted.

"Maybe you should tell that to Ri," Adrienne said. Vegeta sighed.

"I hate it when you're right." She grinned.

"And I love it when you say that." Vegeta walked up to Rienna and Trunks.

"Rienna, may I… talk to you for a second?"

"Uh… sure, Grandpa." Trunks let go of his daughter and slowed his pace until he was back with the others.

"I'm sorry for what I said back there."

"Huh? Oh, that…"

"Yes… I didn't mean it quite that way. You have every right to be sad. I just meant we needed to hurry to make up for that. I didn't mean it was a waste of time."

"Oh, that's ok," Rienna said, smiling a little. "I understand. I know you're not like that." Vegeta smiled.

"Thanks." Rienna hugged him with one arm.

"You're my grandpa," she said matter-of-factly. "And a pretty darned good one, too," she added. Vegeta grinned.

"That I am." Adrienne smiled and looked at Trunks.

"She's pretty resilient, don't you think?" she asked. Trunks nodded.

"Gets it from her mother." He sighed. "I still miss her, Dri. I don't even know how I've made it this far." He sighed again. "Not to mention I've completely failed as her father."

"Don't say that," she told him. "You've done the best you can. I don't think anyone can ask for more." Adrienne looked at Rienna, who was smiling now and talking with Vegeta. "Look at her. She's happy," she said. "And she loves you. You know that."

"Guess you're right."

"Of course I am," she said with a grin. "Little sisters are always right."

"Well, little sisters also get picked on!" Trunks said, wrapping his arms around Adrienne and giving her a noogie.

"Hey! Trunks!" Adrienne whined. "Stop it! Leggo!"

"Take it easy on her, Trunks," Goten said with a smile. Trunks laughed.

"Sorry, Goten, forgot she doesn't live in the same house as me anymore." He let her go, and she rubbed her head and glared at him. "Don't be such a sore loser, Adrienne."

"Sore loser my butt…" she muttered. "I'm gonna get you, Trunks!"

"Uh huh, _sure_," he said.

"I _will_!"

"Right."

"What, you don't believe me?" Trunks shook his head. "Fine! When we get home, expect a little red dinosaur in your mailbox!!" Trunks' eye twitched.

"Great, just what I need…" he muttered. Adrienne smiled.

"Or worse… your _bed_." Trunks laughed anxiously.

"Yeah, well I'm going just going to have to set mousetraps for that little demon, how's _that_ sound?"

"Aw, Uncle Trunks," Jamie whined. "Leave Deho alone!"

"Then keep him _away from me_," Trunks said. "Little monster…" Adrienne laughed.

"But Trunks, he loves you so much!" Trunks shuddered.

"I know."

"Why're you so scared of him, anyway?" Leah asked.

"When Trunks was little, Deho crawled up into his bed and scared him half to death," Goku explained.

"He was right there, just _staring at me!" Trunks protested. Adrienne shook her head. _

"Traumatized for life," she said. "Poor boy." Trunks sweat-dropped.

"I don't want your pity!" he declared, crossing his arms.

"_Chloe_ thought he was cute," Adrienne said.

"Chloe was like that," Trunks said. "She _always loved animals."_

"She did?" Rienna asked. Trunks nodded.

"Always. Most of our pets were strays off the streets that she'd taken in and cleaned up." Goku smiled.

"She was such a caring person," he said.

"She's missed a whole lot around here," Adrienne said. Darrin nodded.

"She was always nice to _me," he said._

"She was nice to _all of us," Goten said. Vegeta nodded._

"We need more people like Chloe Briefs around," he said. "It'd make the world a better place." Everyone stared at him. "…What?!"

"This is kinda fun, sharing old memories," Jamie said.

"Yeah," Leah said.

"What about you, Ri?" Darrin asked. "What do you remember?"

"Well," she said, "I remember the Christmas party. And starting school that year."

"You were so excited," Trunks said. "I think you were actually a bit disappointed when school let out for Christmas break."

"Yeah," Rienna said with a laugh. "I remember that."

"Now we can't get enough time _away from it," Jamie said. Rienna nodded._

"Tell me about it…"

"Rienna…"

"What, Grandpa?" Rienna looked ahead of her to where Vegeta was standing. Past him were two large metal, cruel-looking doors. "Oh no…" She shook her head and backed away. "W-we can't go through there."

"What's wrong, Ri?" Trunks asked.

"Yeah, what is that place?" Leah asked.

"It's nothing. Let's find another way."

"But I can sense him inside," Vegeta said. "We have to go through there."

"N-no, we don't!" Rienna backed away a little more. "I can't go in there." She hung her head. "Not again…"

"What is it?" Leah repeated.

"Yeah, Ri, tell us!" Jamie chimed in.

"…Aaron was researching fear. He built it for one specific purpose- to scare people." She shook her head. "That room… it's a nightmare. All your worst fears come true, before your eyes… even if they _are just images… Reliving horrible memories, creating new ones… I was just a kid.. but…" Rienna shuddered. "I'm not going through that again."_

"Rienna," Trunks said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "I know you don't want to. But it seems to be the only choice we have."

"I knew you'd say that…" she said softly.

"C'mon, Ri, we're coming with you!" Jamie said cheerfully.

"Yeah!" Leah said, nodding her head in agreement. "You don't have anything to be afraid of!"

"Let's do this together," Trunks said, taking her hand. Rienna nodded uncertainly.

"Alright…"

"Hm…" Vegeta looked around the large, empty room. "Why am I not impressed?"

"It hasn't started yet…" Rienna said quietly.

"Well, let's get moving before it does," Trunks said.

"Yeah," Leah said. "What Rienna told us sounded kinda creepy…"

"The sooner we start looking, the sooner we'll find him," Goku said.

"You think?" Vegeta asked. Goku frowned.

"Don't even start, Vegeta!"

"Start what?" Vegeta asked innocently. "Mocking you?" Goku shook his head.

"Vegeta…"

"C'mon, Dad," Trunks said with a groan, "you're making this difficult."

"I'm a difficult person," Vegeta said matter-of-factly. Trunks glared at him.

"Dad…!"

"Alright, _alright_!" Vegeta crossed his arms. "Great Galaxies, can't you take a joke!?"

"You're not the kind of person to joke around," Goku said, a bit putout.

"Maybe you just don't like my sense of humor," Vegeta retorted.

"Yeah, we don't like your sense of humor!" Goku yelled. "_Your_ sense of humor is blasting the world into oblivion!"

"No it's not," Vegeta said, crossing his arms. He smirked. "Not anymore. I'd actually _save_ a few people, now."

"Dad!" Trunks exclaimed. "Would you shut up already!? Jeez!" Vegeta glared at him.

"I don't care if you _are grown," he snapped, "I can still whip you like I used to!"_

"Just try it," Trunks said haughtily. "See where it gets you."

"Why you-"

"Cut it out!" Adrienne yelled. "Gosh, you'd think after all these years you'd learn to GET ALONG!"

"No, you think he'd learn to respect his father by now…" Vegeta muttered. Trunks glared at him and crossed his arms.

"You'd think he'd let me live my life by now…" Trunks mumbled back.

"STOP IT, ALREADY!!!!!!" Adrienne screeched.

"Butt out!" Trunks yelled at her. Adrienne narrowed her eyes, which flashed red for a brief moment. She clenched her fists and her left eye began to twitch.

"Adrienne…" Goten said. "Don't do anything-"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, BUTT OUT?!" Adrienne ki-blasted her brother, who, once the smoke cleared, blinked a few times. His face was black with soot. Vegeta started laughing.

"Ha! You show him, Adrienne!" he yelled through his laughter. Trunks clenched his fists and blasted Vegeta, whose face also turned black. Vegeta stared at him in surprise, then glared. "How dare you!?" He blasted Trunks, who blasted him back, and so on. Suddenly, they were both blasted with a ball just powerful enough to knock them off their feet. Both of them looked up in surprise at Goku, who was still standing with his arm straight out.

"Enough!" he yelled, glaring at both of them. "You should be ashamed of yourselves!"

"Shut up, Kakarott!" Vegeta shouted at the top of his lungs. He jumped up and blasted Goku back. Goten gasped.

"Hey, don't shoot my dad!" he exclaimed. Goten shot at Vegeta, who dodged. The blast hit Adrienne instead. Goten's eyes got wide. "Adrienne! Jeez, I-I didn't mean to!" Adrienne gasped and stared at him, wide-eyed. Vegeta growled.

"You shot Adrienne!!"

"Shoot!" Goten ducked and covered his head. Vegeta's blast missed and hit the wall next to Darrin. He jumped in surprise and disappeared, reappearing next to the other teens. The blast bounced off the wall and hit Adrienne in the face. Adrienne gasped again.

"DADDY!!!" Vegeta started to freak out.

"Ah! Adrienne! I'm so sorry! Are you ok?!" Adrienne clenched her fists and glared at him. She began to charge a very large, very nasty ki blast. "DON'T HURT ME!" he screamed, ducking just in time to miss her angry attack. It (of course) hit Goku instead. Adrienne sweat dropped.

"Whoops." Once the blast disintegrated, Goku stood there, his mouth open.

"W-why did you shoot me?!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Honest, Goku!" While Vegeta was preoccupied (ducking on the floor), Trunks took the opportunity (*grin* "Heheh…") to shoot his father- in the butt. Vegeta jumped up in surprise.

"WHO DID THAT?!" Vegeta roared.

"Me," Trunks said simply. Vegeta went Super Saiyan and shot him with a ki blast. Trunks also went SS and shot him back. This continued for a few seconds, until, in his rage, one of Trunks' ki blasts went astray and hit Goten in the back.

"HEY!" Goten whirled around and shot Trunks. Soon all the adults were shooting each other (or trying to). Leah sighed.

"Here we go again." Darrin, who was floating upside-down above them with his legs crossed, nodded.

"Yep…" All four kids sweat-dropped and sighed.

"Jeez, I can't take it anymore!" Gohan yelled, hitting his head on the window in front of him. "I never should have agreed to this!" He hit his head on the window again. "Darn it!"

"Don't hurt yourself, Gohan," Videl told him.

"Yeah, Dad," Pan said. "You can't do anything about it now."

"All we can do right now is wait," Chi-Chi said. Everyone had been wandering about Capsule Corp. for the last three hours. Bra, Marron, and Pan's families were there. Even Alexandra and Krystal (Brian and Jamie's girlfriends, respectively) were there. Most of the group was upstairs with the children. Krillin sighed and crossed his arms.

"Darned old age…" he muttered. Eighteen smiled.

"But there are some benefits," Chi-Chi said. "Like grandchildren!"

"We know," everyone chorused. Chi-Chi looked at her hands.

"Let's see, how many is that now…?" She started counting on her fingers. "Leah, Jamie, Pan… three?! Well, Rienna and Brian might as well be mine! Four, five…………" Chi-Chi racked her brain. There had to be more! "…Darrin counts, too! Six……" Chi-Chi stared at her six fingers for about five whole minutes. Then she began to wiggle them. "Am I missing one?"

"No," everyone said dully.

"Oh…" She stared at her fingers some more. "That's not very many…" Chi-Chi began to ponder this fact with displeasure. Suddenly, she got an idea, and her face lit up. "Gohan," she said sweetly, "my dearest eldest child, whom I love with all my heart-"

"Mom!!" Gohan whined, putting his hands on his ears. "I don't want to hear it!"

"But-"

"Besides, Videl's too old," Gohan said with a grin. Pan laughed, but Videl gasped and hit him in the head. "Ow!"

"I'll have you know something, *_Son Gohan*!" his wife shouted with all the fire of her youth (and we all know how THAT is…). "You're *__just* as old as me, so don't give me that 'Videl's too old' crap! Videl *_nothing_*!" Gohan laughed a bit nervously._

"See? Even if we wanted kids, we couldn't give you any!" Videl tapped her foot impatiently.

"Gohan…!" she said warningly. "Don't you say another word, or I'll hit you so hard-"

"Ok, Videl! I get the point!" Gohan said, scooting away from her a little bit.

"Oh, darn…" Chi-Chi stared at her hands and recounted her "grandchildren" silently to herself. She frowned, and thought a little more. Suddenly, her face lit up again. "Goten!"

Gohan groaned. "Mom…!"

"What? He and Adrienne are still in their thirties!"

"Yeah," Gohan said. "*_Late* thirties."_

"*_Very_* late," Pan added.

"So??" Chi-Chi rubbed her hands together and grinned. "I can't wait 'til he gets home!" Gohan sighed.

"Poor kids," Bulma said. Everyone except Chi-Chi nodded. "Guess we'll just have to warn them."

"At least she isn't talking about _great-grandkids," Krillin whispered to his wife._

"I just hope she doesn't lock anyone in any closets," Eighteen said with a wary glance at the conniving Chi-Chi. Krillin nodded.

"Gosh, not _that_ again," Gohan groaned. "Enough already!" Pan cocked her head.

"Has Grandma really locked someone in a closet before?" Gohan and Videl looked at each other and smiled nervously.

"Well…"

"How long do you think they can keep that up?" Jamie asked, watching the adults blast each other.

"I dunno," Leah said. "But if they waste their energy now, what will we have left for Aaron?"

"Good point," Darrin said. He was now floating right side up. Darrin stood up.

"You gonna break them up?" Jamie asked him. Darrin shrugged.

"Somebody has to."

"You're a braver soul than I am," Rienna said with a smile. Darrin shrugged again.

"Be right back," he said, disappearing. He had just reappeared in the middle of the group when the lights dimmed.

"Huh?" The grown-ups stopped charging their blasts and looked around. Rienna, Jamie, and Leah all stood up.

"What's going on?" Leah asked.

"The Nightmare System… It's starting…" Rienna said softly. Rienna, Jamie, and Leah walked over to their parents, not taking their eyes off the changing room. The room began to glow red, and the ceiling became swirled with red and black, like bloody storm clouds. Rienna moved a little closer to Trunks, who reached down and took her hand. She smiled up at him weakly.

"Ha! You fools!" came someone's voice. "Should have escaped while you had the chance!"

"Aaron!" Vegeta yelled.

"While you morons were wasting time holding your lovely little funeral service, I was busy completing my plan! And now that I'm through, I'm going to have a little fun!"

"What do you mean, through?" Goten asked.

"Think about it, genius!" Aaron laughed. "Oh well. I'll leave you idiots to think on that. Enjoy the maze!"

"Maze?" Trunks asked. Almost immediately, thick, red walls grew up between the group, separating them all. One grew between Rienna and Trunks. "What?! Rienna!"

"Daddy!" Rienna cried.

"Jamie, help me!" Leah exclaimed, before the wall separating the twins grew to its full height and touched the ceiling.

"Leah!" both Darrin and Jamie shouted in dismay. Another wall grew between the two of them.

"Jamie!" Darrin exclaimed. Aaron laughed again.

"See you around!" he said cheerfully. In his office, Aaron shut off the comlink and laughed to himself. "Fools…"

"Dad! Daddy, where are you!?" Rienna cried.

"Over here, Ri!" came Trunks' faint reply. "Don't worry, I'm coming!" Trunks looked around. "At least, I'm trying…"

"Hurry, please!" she pleaded. Her voice was no longer the sweet tone of a 16-year-old- it was higher and younger sounding, as if she'd lost ten years or so. "Daddy, I'm scared…! It's never done this before!"

"Calm down, Rienna. Just stay calm and don't move!" He turned around. He could go three different directions. "Crap… Which way?" Trunks shut his eyes and held them tight. "…That way!" he said, pointing to his right. He ran off down the hall. "I hope my sense of direction isn't as bad as I think it is…"

"Where is everybody?" Leah wondered aloud. A chill went down her back as she rounded a corner. Leah hugged herself and shivered. "Kinda chilly in here…" She trudged along, looking around for anyone she knew, until she came to large open space. "What is this?" Suddenly, she gasped. "Darrin!?"

Vegeta muttered something under his breath and continued walking through Aaron's maze. "Dirty trick… blasted… Argh! When I get my hands on him…!" He rounded a corner and walked right into a soft (yet sturdy) wall, knocking him over. "What the- Hey, watch where you're going, Brat!"

"Sorry, Vegeta," Darrin said, offering him a hand. Vegeta scoffed and stood up.

"At least it's not Kakarott," he mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing!" Vegeta crossed his arms.

"Where is everyone?" Darrin asked.

"Stuck in this blasted maze!" Vegeta yelled in frustration.

"Well.. yeah, but… never mind." Darrin smiled. "Looks like we're stuck together." Vegeta scoffed again.

"Bah." He crossed his arms and started walking in the direction Darrin had come from.

"Wait, Vegeta!" Darrin called. "That's a dead end!" Vegeta ignored him and kept walking. He rounded the corner, out of Darrin's sight. Darrin sighed. "He never listens to anyone…!" he moaned. After a few moments, Vegeta came walking back around the corner, looking very sullen. Darrin watched as he walked back up beside him and stopped. Vegeta glared at him.

"Don't you say a word."

Jamie walked along the path slowly. "Leah!" he called. "Mom? Dad? Grandpa!!" Jamie sighed in frustration. "Jeez! Where is everybody!?" Suddenly, he thought he heard his sister scream. "I'm coming, Leah!"

"Did you hear that?!" Darrin asked suddenly.

"Leah!" Vegeta exclaimed.

"It came from over there!" Darrin said, pointing to his left. Vegeta nodded.

"Let's go!"

Rienna looked around at her surroundings. It was a rather large room, actually- but it was very empty. She walked into the middle of it and slowly turned in a full circle. "It's… kind of odd…" she said to herself. Suddenly, something flashed across her mind. "What?" A whole flood of memories came back to her and flashed before her eyes one after the other, overwhelming her senses. She gasped. "No!" She shook her head and fell to her knees. "Not again!" Suddenly, Brian was lying in front of her, cold as stone. "NO!" Ruben appeared next to her, and Jessica and Jeremy. She clutched her head. "Stop! I don't want to remember! I don't want to know!" Instantly, Chloe was beside her as well. Tears filled Rienna's eyes as she began to sob. "Leave me alone!! Let me forget!!" Suddenly the whole family was lying, lifeless, around her. "NOO!"

Leah knelt at Darrin's side, crying heavily. "Darrin!" She glared up at the ceiling with angry, tear-filled eyes. "How could this happen?!" Suddenly, Vegeta and Darrin came running into the room. Jamie entered from the other side at about the same time.

"Leah!" the three of them exclaimed together. Leah looked up.

"What?" She saw Darrin and gasped. "Darrin!? But you're-"

"Is that me??" Darrin asked. Leah looked down at the image of Darrin on the ground.

"I… I don't know…" she said softly.

"What is going on here?!" Jamie exclaimed.

"Darrin…" Leah stood up, and he walked over to her. "I thought you were… It's just an image…" He put his arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, it's ok.," he said gently.  Leah turned around and hugged him. Darrin smiled and squeezed her tight.

Vegeta walked over to the false Darrin and knelt down to touch him.

"Pretty life-like," Jamie said. Vegeta stood up.

"Let's move on. I'm ready to get out of this place." Leah nodded and leaned against Darrin. She sniffed.

"Yeah, let's go," she said.

"Help me!"

"Adrienne?" Goten looked around attentively. "Adrienne, where are you?!"

"Help me!" she cried again. Goten ran off in the direction of her voice. "Goten! Goten, help! Goten, where are you?!" His heart started to race harder than it ever had before. Suddenly, Adrienne screamed, and her cries for help ceased.

"Adrienne!!"

"Not _another_ one!" Trunks exclaimed, staring at the wall in front of him. "Stupid maze! I've always hated these things!!" Trunks turned around and retraced his steps. He looked up. "How am I supposed to know where I am!?" Trunks pulled on his hair in frustration. "I hate mazes!!!"

"Trunks…" Trunks let go of his hair and looked around.

"Huh?"

"Trunks…"

"W-who's there?" A ghostly figure cloaked in pale blue light appeared in front of him. He gasped. "Chloe!?" The woman smiled.

"Hello, Trunks."

"Goten, where are you?!" Adrienne called in frustration. "Ugh!" She stomped her foot and crossed her arms. "Stupid maze!"

"Adrienne!" Adrienne's ears picked up on the faint cry and she turned around.

"Goten?" Suddenly, her husband slid into view from around a corner. He smiled when he saw her.

"Adrienne!" She smiled back.

"Goten!" He rushed to her, and she met him halfway.

"Adrienne, are you ok!?" he asked, looking her over. "I heard you screaming!" Adrienne's brow furrowed.

"Screaming?" She cocked her head. "I wasn't screaming."

"You weren't?" Goten scratched his head. "But… but I heard you!" She shook her head.

"Well, it wasn't me."

"But it sounded just like you!" He crossed his arms. "That's… odd."

"Yeah, it is… Are you sure it was me?" Goten nodded.

"Positive. You were even calling my name!" Adrienne frowned even more.

"I bet it's part of that Nightmare System or whatever Rienna called it." Goten nodded.

"Must be." He sighed. "Well, that's a relief. I thought you were in big trouble." Adrienne smiled.

"Nope. But thanks for caring," she said. Goten grinned.

"It's my job." He cocked his head at her. "C'mon, let's go find the others. They've gotta be around here somewhere."

Goku scratched his head and looked around. There were so many paths he could take! "Which way, which way…?" He cocked his head and looked to the left. "I could go left…" He turned to his right. "Or I can go right…" He turned back to his original position. "But then again, I can go straight, too…" He scratched his head again. "Mazes are so confusing…" Goku sighed and stood back to look at his options again. Suddenly, he got an idea and pointed to the left. "Eeny, meeny, mainy, moe…"

"You can't be Chloe!" Trunks exclaimed. "Chloe's dead! She's been dead for ten years!"

"You don't think I know that?" she asked. "After all, it was me that died, not you."

"But Chloe… you can't be her ghost!" Chloe nodded.

"Yes, I can. And I am." She took a step closer to him. "I've been waiting so long to talk to you." She stepped even closer, until she was right up against him. "I've missed you." Trunks stared into her eyes.

"But… what are you doing here?" Chloe shook her head and put her hand on his cheek.

"Never mind that," she said sweetly. "Love is a powerful thing." Trunks blushed and began to stutter.

"U-uh, I…"

"Shh…" she said, putting her index finger on his lips to silence him. "Don't speak. Let me do the talking." Trunks swallowed and nodded. She turned around and walked away, then turned back around to face him. "To be honest, Trunks, there's one thing that's been bothering me…"

"What do you mean?" Chloe closed her eyes.

"I'm talking about Rienna." Trunks looked at her in surprise.

"What about Ri?"

"That she's grown up without us…" Chloe looked up at him as tears began to fill her bright green eyes. "How could you just let her go?!" Trunks blinked.

"Chloe, I-"

"Don't give me excuses!" she shouted, clenching her fists. "She's forgotten us, Trunks! Do you know how much that hurts?!" Trunks narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, I do." He took a few steps forward to meet her. "And I also know," he said, grabbing her by her right wrist, "that you're not my Chloe." Chloe stared at him.

"Trunks, we've been through this alread-"

"You listen to me," he said, glaring at her now. "I don't know who you really are, but you leave me and my family alone." Chloe glared at him.

"I always knew you were a stubborn fool, Trunks Briefs!" she shouted angrily. She jerked away and took a few steps backwards, where she shot him one last glare. Then, she disappeared. Trunks stared at where the image had been for a moment, and sighed.

"I'm beginning to hate this place even more…" Trunks stood there for a minute, but his ears perked up when he heard a faint moaning coming from somewhere close. "Huh?"

"No… _no_…!" Trunks' eyes widened

"Rienna?" He ran in the direction of the voice until he came to a large empty room. In the middle of it was his daughter, lying on the floor in the fetal position, clutching her head with her eyes shut tight. "Ri!"

"No…! Leave me alone…! Quit tormenting me!" She shook her head. "Leave me alone!" Trunks rushed over to her and knelt beside her.

"Ri, it's me!" Rienna didn't seem to hear him. "C'mon, Ri, snap out of it!" Trunks said. He put his hand on her shoulder. She screamed at the touch and her eyes shot open. "Hey, it's ok! It's me!" Rienna looked up at him.

"Daddy!" she cried, her eyes full of tears. She sat up and threw her arms around his neck as she started to cry. Trunks hugged her back.

"Hey, it's okay," he said. "I'm here…"

"Daddy, it was horrible! He killed them! He killed everyone!"

"Who did?"

"Aaron!" She squeezed him tighter. "We can't let him, Dad, we can't! I can't lose you again!" Trunks held her head against his chest and rocked her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Ri. You're not going to lose _anyone_. Don't even think about it anymore." He looked up and stared around the room. "We're going to stop him," he said. Trunks narrowed his eyes. "Once and for all."

"Shoot…" Goku said, staring at the dead end in front of him. "Note to self: never choose 'moe'." He sighed. "Guess it's back to where I started… Excellent progress, Goku." He turned around and slowly walked back to the last intersection. "Oh _man_," he groaned. "Which way did I come from?!" He hit himself in the head. "So stupid!" He looked to his right. "I _think_ I came from _that_ direction…" He turned to his left. "So maybe _this_ is the right way!" He started to his left when something stopped him. "Hey," he said, sniffing the air, "do I smell Starbursts?" Sure enough, Vegeta, Darrin, Leah, and Jamie soon appeared walking down the corridor towards him.

"I told you not to take that left turn," Jamie was telling his grandfather. Vegeta scoffed.

"Bah! I don't need your help!"

"Hey, guys!" Goku called cheerfully. "I finally found you!"

"Huh?" Leah looked up. "Hey, it's Grandpa!"

"Great, it's Kakarott," Vegeta said, rolling his eyes. Goku grinned.

"Lucky we met up with each other," Goku said, once the others had caught up to him. "I am totally lost."

"Big surprise there," Vegeta said sarcastically. Goku frowned.

"Don't worry, we were too," Leah told him.

"Yeah… Vegeta was leading us down all the wrong paths," Darrin said. Vegeta glared at him.

"I have an _excellent_ sense of direction, thank you very much!" he said, putting his hands on his hips.

"I haven't seen any sign of Goten, Adrienne, Trunks, or Rienna," Goku said. "Have you?" Vegeta glared at him.

"If we _had_ they probably wouldn't still be lost in this Kami-forsaken place!" he snapped.

"Calm down, Grandpa," Leah said gently.

"Let's hurry and find them," Jamie said. "I'm getting really worried."

"And what did Aaron mean when he said he had completed his plan?" Goku asked.

"Hopefully not what I think he means," Vegeta said. He shook his head. "C'mon, we're wasting time!" he barked, strutting off down the hallway.

"Wait, Vegeta, I just came from there!" Goku shouted. "Vegeta…!"

"Don't worry, Grandpa," Jamie said, putting a hand on Goku's shoulder. "He's been doing that all day."

"Sure is quiet," Goten said thoughtfully. Adrienne nodded.

"Mazes normally aren't noisy," she said. Goten shrugged.

"Just a little too quiet for my liking," he said. She nodded again.

"I know what you mean." She stepped a little closer to him. "I wonder what the kids are doing…"

"Hey, don't worry, I'm sure they've found each other by now, if not the rest of them," Goten reassured her. "They can take care of themselves."

"I know…" She looked at the ground. "…Goten," she said after a while. "What do you think Aaron meant?"

"About his plan being finished?" Adrienne nodded. "Gee, I dunno… Haven't thought about it much." He crossed his arms. "It could mean any number of things."

"That's what worries me."

"Well," Goten said, "I guess we'll just have to get out of here and see." Adrienne nodded.

"Guess so."

"If you tap me one more time, Kakarott, I'm going to send you into the next dimension!" Vegeta yelled at the top of his lungs.

"But Vegeta," Goku whined, "I have to go to the bathroom!" All three kids sighed.

"Grandpa," Jamie groaned.

"What?!" Goku exclaimed. "I gotta go!"

"Well you should have gone before we left the house!" Vegeta shouted. He couldn't believe he had to say this to Goku, of all people.

"But I _did_!" Goku protested. "And that was a couple hours ago!"

"ARGH!" Vegeta yelled, about to rip his hair out. "I can't believe this!" He glared at Goku with all the anger he could muster. "How the heck did I get stuck with you!?"

"Because Trunks asked me to come…" Vegeta's eyes flashed with rage. Trunks! Of course!

"When I get my hands on that boy I'm going to-"

"Vegeta, shouldn't we be looking _for him and not for ways to __kill him?" Darrin asked. Vegeta shot him a dirty look._

"Who asked you!?" he demanded. Vegeta crossed his arms forcefully. "I'll do what I want!"

"And we'll do what we want," Goku said, also crossing his arms. "And we want to find the others. C'mon, guys." Leah, Jamie, and Darrin all followed him.

"Wait, you can't leave me! Leah, Jamie, you get back here! I'm your grandfather!!"

"So am I," Goku muttered sourly.

"Shouldn't we stay?" Jamie asked. "I think we're just making him mad…"

"It's alright, Jamie," Goku told him. "He'll follow us, don't worry." Leah sighed.

"I hope so…"

"He will, trust me." Darrin stopped. "Hey, Darrin, what is it?"

"It's… Miss Adrienne!" Darrin ran off ahead of them. "Come on!"

"Mom!" Leah ran off after him. "Darrin, wait for me!"

"Yeah, us too!" Jamie called. A large blur zoomed past them all. A few seconds later, they heard a scream.

"Vegeta!?" Goten exclaimed.

"Dad!" Adrienne shouted happily.

"Wait for us!!" Goku yelled in an annoyed tone, he and the others finally rounding the corner. Vegeta, Goten, and Adrienne were all standing in front of them.

"Mom!" Jamie and Leah cried at the same time. Adrienne smiled.

"Jamie! Leah!" They both rushed into her open arms.

"Hiya, guys!" Goten grinned.

"Are you ok?" Adrienne asked them. Each of them nodded.

"We're fine, Adrienne," Goku told her with a smile. He grinned at Goten. "Went down a few wrong paths, but we're over that." Goten smiled back.

"Good to see you, Dad," he said.

"Oh, but where are Trunks and Rienna?" Adrienne asked them. "Aren't they with you?" Darrin shook his head.

"We haven't seen them," he said. Adrienne frowned.

"Oh…"

"Darn, I thought we'd found everyone," Goten said disappointedly. Vegeta crossed his arms.

"Well, as good as it is to see you, we need to move on," he said grumpily.

"Good idea," Adrienne said. "No telling where they are."

"Let's hope we find them soon," Goten said. "We're running out of time."

Rienna had almost fallen asleep in his arms as Trunks held her close. A few tears still fell down her face as her eyes began to droop. That was ok, Trunks thought. She's had a rough day. And carrying her wouldn't be so bad. After all, she didn't weigh much- and he was half-Saiyan. No problem.

"Daddy…" she said softly. "Don't let him take me… Not again…" She closed her eyes and fell asleep. Trunks smiled.

"Never," he whispered. He slowly shifted her weight and scooped her up with a grunt. "Let's get you out of here." Trunks stood up and looked around. "Guess I'll go this way," he said, walking off down the hall to his right.

_*It's almost like she's little again,*_ he thought, looking down at her. *_Like she's just gotten up from a bad dream… I remember those days.* Trunks continued down the passage. He smiled. *__Most of them were about dinosaurs.* He chuckled to himself. *_Or falling off a motorcycle. I guess she gets that from Chloe,*_ he thought. *__She never really liked mine.* He sighed. *_Yep, those were the good ol' days.*__

"Great son of Namek!" someone exclaimed from behind him. "What in Kami's name?!" Trunks turned around.

"Dad?!" The whole group ran over to him.

"Trunks, what happened?!" Adrienne exclaimed.

"What's wrong with Ri?" Jamie asked.

"She's just sleeping," Trunks told them. "She had quite a scare." He shifted her weight, as his left arm was beginning to hurt. "Found her lying on the floor, crying. Something about Aaron killing everyone."

"Poor girl," Goku said.

"She should be fine when she wakes up," Trunks said.

"Do you want me to take her?" Goten offered. "You look tired." Trunks shook his head and held her tighter.

"No, that's ok," he said. "I… I want to hold her." Goten nodded.

"Ok." Jamie clenched his fists.

"That Aaron!" he exclaimed. "I'm going to beat him to a pulp!"

"Yeah!" Leah agreed. "Enough is enough!" Adrienne smiled.

"We're going to get him, alright," she said. "But first we have to find our way out of here."

"Yeah," Darrin said. "How're we supposed to do that?" He looked around. "There are so many passages!"

"We'll find a way," Vegeta said. "And we'll stop him, once and for all, even if I spend the rest of my life doing it! I swear it!"

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Trunks said. "The earth doesn't have that kind of time." Adrienne nodded.

"You're right," she said. "We might already be out of it…"

"Don't say that!" Vegeta shouted. "We're never out of time!"

"But what if-"

"Enough!" he yelled. "Let's get out of here and find Aaron already!" They all nodded.

"Right!"

"My, my, they work fast," Aaron said to himself. He crossed his arms and turned to look out the window. "No matter. By the time they arrive, it will be too late to save the planet." Aaron smirked and stared at his reflection in the window. "Even if they do somehow manage to destroy my machine, there's no hope." He smirked even more. "Those fools. I wonder how they even made it this far." Aaron turned around and stared at his wonderful machine. It was glowing with a soft green light as it spread the virus through a pipe in the floor to the outside world. "My wonderful virus… I can't wait to see the look on Vegeta's face when he finally finds out that his mate is dying." Aaron chuckled to himself. "Revenge is sweet."

"Something odd is going on outside," Videl said. "I can feel it."

"Kind of an eerie feeling…" Pan said. She walked over behind her mother and peered out. "I don't *_see* anything…"_

"I can feel it, too," Gohan said. He joined the rest of his family at the window. "Something's not right…" Krillin and Eighteen nodded.

"Someone should go check it out," Bra suggested.

"I will," Gohan said. He turned around to leave. Bulma frowned and stopped him.

"Hold on, Gohan," she said, walking to the window and examining the view. "Something definitely isn't right… Does the air look a little… _bluish_, to you?"

"Bluish?" Pan asked. Gohan, Videl, and Pan looked a little closer. Marron, Krillin, Eighteen, and Bra gathered around another window.

"I guess it does…" Eighteen said finally. She narrowed her eyes. "Strange…"

"Let's not go outside for a while," Bulma said. "Something's in the air, and I don't want to find out what it is the hard way." Suddenly, she got an idea. "I'm going to see if I can collect a sample."

"Good idea, Bulma," Krillin told her. "We'll see if there's anything on TV about it. Maybe we're not the only ones to notice it." Bulma nodded.

"I'll be right back," she said. Bulma turned and walked off down the hallway. As soon as she left, Bra picked up the remote control and turned on the television.

"-the number of fatalities is growing rapidly. Dozens of people just in the viewing area are being hospitalized for what seems to be some kind of virus." Videl gasped.

"A virus?"

"Fatalities?" Gohan wondered.

"Oh, hold on one moment, folks…" The news anchor was handed a piece of paper. He quickly read over it. "I've just been informed that our region is not the only one being affected. I'm being told we now have a map of the current known fatalities of this mystery disease, if we could bring that up, now." A map of the viewing area zoomed out so that it now showed most of the country. It was littered with tiny red dots with numbers in the middle. "As you can see, it has traveled a long way in such a short time. More and more reports of those affected by this virus are being received in our main office." Again, an off-screen assistant interrupted the reporter. The group felt drawn to the television as they watched him read this list of new information slowly.

"A scientist from one of the Capsule Corp. research centers in our area, who wishes to remain anonymous, has just sent us a list of the known symptoms of this new disease." A bright blue screen popped up with the words "You may have this virus if:" written at the top. "Heavy breathing, severe abdominal pain, intense sweating..." As the reporter rattled them off the list, each one appeared on-screen. "High body temperature, severe headaches, and frequent coughing. If you have two or more of these symptoms, please get to the hospital immediately."

"Why does that sound painfully familiar…?" Gohan asked softly.

"Those are the symptoms Chloe had," Bulma said. She was leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed, eyes full of sadness.

"You're joking!" Gohan exclaimed. Bulma closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Afraid not."

_*Busy "finishing" your plan…*_ Trunks walked along silently, and the rest of the group with him. *_What did you mean, Aaron? Is the virus finished, then?*_ Trunks' heart skipped a beat as he suddenly realized something. *_If it's finished…*_ He almost didn't want to bring himself to say it. *_…Then did he release it, already?* Trunks felt fear welling up inside him. *_That virus… I only got a taste, but Chloe… Chloe didn't make it. And why I'm alive right now, I don't know… but… Chloe…*_ Trunks felt the tears spring up from their well in his eyes. *_My Chloe… this is the thing that I've hated all my life. The very thing that took you away from me…* _If Aaron had released the virus, the Syndrome… People were dying. Right now. Trunks narrowed his eyes.  *__I'm not going to let Aaron take anyone away. Not this time.* A single tear fell down his cheek and onto Rienna's face._

"Huh…?" she groaned. Rienna took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Trunks looked down at her, and she stared back. "Dad?" He smiled.

"Welcome back, Ri," he said. She looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Dad, are you ok?" Trunks frowned.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Rienna shrugged as well as she could in her current position.

"I… I dunno. Forget it." Vegeta appeared behind her, to Trunks' right.

"Hello there," he said with a small smile. Rienna tilted her head backwards and stared at him upside-down.

"Oh, hi, Grandpa," she said cheerfully. "Hey, uh, Dad, you can put me down now." Trunks grinned and set her down. "Is everybody here?"

"Oh, she's awake!" Goku said excitedly.

"Hiya, Ri!" Jamie said, walking up beside them. Rienna smiled.

"Jamie!"

"Have a nice nap?" Darrin asked in a sly tone. Rienna grinned.

"Yeah, thanks for asking."

"Are you ok?" Adrienne asked. Her niece nodded.

"Yeah, Aunt Adrienne." Adrienne smiled.

"Good." Rienna looked past Adrienne at Goten and smiled.

"Hey, Uncle Goten!" she said. "Wow, it feels like I haven't seen you guys for forever!"

"You almost haven't."

"Yeah, guess so…" Goten smiled.

"It's good to have you back." Rienna smiled back at him.

"Yes, it is," Vegeta said, putting his hand on his granddaughter's shoulder.

"We missed you," Leah said with a smile.

'Yeah, Brian especially." As he said his name, Trunks felt his heart grow heavy. The others had similar feelings, and they stood there in silence.

"He's definitely going to be missed a whole lot around here," Goten said. Leah, Jamie, and Darrin all nodded in agreement.

"He certainly will be," Goku said.

"Come on," Trunks said, not wanting to take the conversation any further. "Let's keep moving."

"Dad…" Rienna said softly.

"If you don't want to talk about it-" Trunks interrupted him.

"No, I don't want to talk about it, Goten! I just want to get out of this wretched maze, find Aaron, destroy him and his virus and *_go home_*!" Everyone stared at him, unsure of what to say. "So let's just get out of here…" he said a bit more quietly. He walked off down the hall, and the others followed silently. "…Guys, I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it, Trunks," Adrienne said gently. "We know."

"…Thanks for tagging along," he said finally. Goten smiled.

"Hey, no problem, Trunks!"

"No, I mean all this time," Trunks said, shaking his head. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys."

"Don't start that crap!" Vegeta snarled. "We don't have time for it!" Trunks smiled.

"Right," he said. "Sorry."

"I think I see light ahead!" Jamie exclaimed suddenly. He pointed up the path to a tiny speck of light. He waved at them as he ran on ahead. "C'mon! That must be the exit!"

"Great!" Leah exclaimed, running after her twin. Rienna and Darrin followed them closely.

"I can finally get out of this place!" Rienna cried happily.

"Guys, wait for us!" Adrienne called. The rest of the group followed the teens towards the speck of light. They stopped before the exit.

"It's… so bright…" Rienna said softly. She smiled. "I never thought I'd see the sun again."

"Why are you so pessimistic?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah, Ri, lighten up a little!" Leah said, putting her hand on her cousin's shoulder. Rienna grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, I guess it's kind of a habit." She sighed and stared longingly at the light. "But today has been a rather gloomy day…"

"Yeah," Goku agreed. "But we've got a chance to change that!"

"Yeah!" Jamie cheered.

"I can't wait to kick Aaron's butt!" Leah said with a devious grin. Rienna laughed.

"I'm with you all the way!" she said, giving Leah a high-five. "One problem."

"What's that?" Leah asked. Rienna grinned.

"I want the first hit!"

"No way!" Leah told her with a smile.

"Neither of you get it," Trunks said.

"What?" "Why?" they asked at the same time.

"Because I do!" Vegeta snapped.

"Hey, Dad, I was going to say that!" Trunks exclaimed. Adrienne, Goten, and Goku laughed.

"Like father, like son," Goku said. Both Trunks and Vegeta stared at him. They clearly were not amused. "Heheh… sorry."  Darrin, who by now was itching for a fight, crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.

"There's no use arguing over who gets the first punch," he said. "We're going to need everyone to even _land one." The group nodded. "So are we gonna get out of here or not?" he asked a bit sorely._

"Oh, right!" All (except Vegeta and Darrin) sweat-dropped.

"I guess-"

"I'll go first," Vegeta finished for Goku and shot him a dirty look.

"What did I do now?!" Goku asked, exasperated.

"You're still alive after all this time," Vegeta said plainly. He walked into the light and disappeared. Everyone that was left (except Goku) sweat-dropped again.

"Dad/Grandpa/Vegeta!" they groaned. Goku crossed his arms.

"Yeah, well when I _do die," he yelled angrily, "you'll be sorry!"_

"_That'll_  be the day…" Trunks muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing…"

Bulma pushed everyone down the stairs into a large empty room. "Hurry, everyone! I'm going to seal us in here for a while!"

"Seal us in?!" Krillin exclaimed. "What the heck are you gonna do that for?!"

"So the virus doesn't get in." Bulma, being the last to come in, closed the door behind her and punched in a code on a small panel next to the door. The words "Air-lock initiated" appeared on the digital readout. There was a short hissing noise, and then the words: "air-lock secure". "There." She smiled and turned around to face the group.

"Bulma," Chi-Chi said quietly. "How long are we going to be down here?"

"I don't know," Bulma replied. "Could be a few hours, maybe… a month."

"A MONTH?!"

"Don't worry, there is plenty of food!"

"Mom, I can't stay here for a month!" Bra complained. "I don't have a change of clothes!" Her husband, Chris, sighed.

"I don't, either!" Melissa chimed in. She was Bra's 7-year-old daughter. Her sister, Ashley (5), nodded.

"Can't stay for a month," she repeated to her grandmother. Bulma sweat-dropped.

"Come on now, guys, cheer up!" Jason (Pan's husband) said. "As long as we're alive, right?"

"Right, Daddy!" their son, Josh, cheered.

"That's the spirit!" Pan told him, ruffling his hair. Josh giggled.

"I just thought of something," Krystal said suddenly.

"What's that?" Videl asked.

"What if the others are out in this?" she said softly. The group went silent.

"…I'm sure they're not," Bulma said finally. "They're probably inside somewhere."

"I hope you're right," Alex said. Bulma didn't answer.

"Well, guess we'd better sit down," Krillin said, sitting on the floor with his back against a wall. "We might be here for a while." Everyone followed his example and began to talk among themselves. Bulma stared at her feet.

_*Vegeta, stay safe…*_

Vegeta appeared in a large, almost-empty room. The two walls overlooking the countryside were completely made of glass, and gentle yellow light poured through them as the sun slowly sank behind the horizon. A thin haze hung in the air and tinted everything slightly green.

"What in the..?" Vegeta's voice trailed off as he slowly walked over to one of the windows and peered out.

"I'm surprised you made it this far, Vegeta." Our favorite Saiyan Prince whirled around and glared at the speaker. "I'm sorry, did I scare you?" Vegeta scoffed.

"You wish!" he snarled.

"Do you like it?" Aaron asked, walking over to the wall next to Vegeta. He gazed out the window with a small, satisfied smile on his face. Vegeta watched him warily, his eyes narrow. "I heard that about thirty million have already passed on." Vegeta's eyes narrowed even more.

"What?!"

"That's right," Aaron said, smiling a bit more. "Thirty million in thirty minutes. That'd give the rest of the country about…" Aaron turned to Vegeta and smirked. "Two hours." Vegeta's eyes filled with awe and hatred.

"You killed thirty million people!?"

"I give the world about two days," Aaron said with satisfaction. Vegeta's eyes got even bigger. "Spreads fast, doesn't it?" Vegeta clenched his fists and tried to keep himself under control as Aaron turned and walked away.

"Do you think this is fun?!" Vegeta shouted. Aaron stopped. "You don't toy with people's lives!"

"This isn't like you, Vegeta," Aaron said without turning around. "Normally you would have lost control by now."

"I've changed since you saw me last," Vegeta said calmly.

"Apparently." Aaron walked over to another window and looked out. "I wonder how long it took to reach Capsule Corp.," he said innocently. Vegeta's heart skipped a beat. Capsule Corp.!? His eyes burned with malice as they stared into Aaron's. The old Saiyan laughed inwardly as Vegeta's face became twisted with rage.

"If anything happens to my family, I will rip you limb from limb with my bare hands!" he screamed, going SS to release a bit of the tension building up inside him. The older Saiyan laughed.

"I doubt you could," Aaron said quietly, full of confidence. He narrowed his eyes and leered at the angry Super Saiyan. "But go ahead and try."

Look at me! Lookie, lookie! Eight whole chapters!!!! I can't believe it's almost over, though... So sad. Well, guys, lemme know what you think! Please r/r!!


	9. This is My Fight

Syndrome

DISCLAIMER: I do *_not_* own DBZ (Hee hee…. _Yet_… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!

. : : Chapter 9 : This is My Fight : : .

"Vegeta/Dad!" Trunks and the others rushed into the room, having gone through the brilliant teleport. They found themselves in a large, practically empty room. Vegeta was in his fighting pose (in Super Saiyan form), facing Aaron, who had a satisfied look on his face. Rienna and Trunks went into identical stances at the mere sight of him. Aaron laughed.

"Looks like your reinforcements have arrived, Vegeta," he said. "What's wrong? Don't you think you can take me on yourself?"

"Shut up, old fool!" Vegeta shouted. "Trunks, you stay out of this!" Trunks glared at his father.

"No!" he shouted back. "This is as much my fight as it is yours!"

"No, Trunks," Vegeta said sternly. "It's not. This is my fight, and mine only."

"Dad-"

"Adrienne!" Adrienne stopped and stared at Vegeta. "Take the children and go!"

"What?!" Adrienne clenched her fists. "Dad, I can't do that! We're in this together, remember?!"

"I'm not going!" Jamie shouted defiantly, crossing his arms. Leah did the same.

"Yeah, me either! I want a piece of this guy!"

"I'm touched," Aaron said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Everyone wants to take a shot at me." Aaron cocked his head at Vegeta. "Why not, Vegeta? I promise to let them live long enough to see your  sickeningly slow and excruciating death." Vegeta growled and narrowed his eyes.

"You stay out of this!" he yelled angrily. "Just go!" he repeated to Adrienne. His daughter shook her head in response.

"I'm not leaving," Rienna said, "and I'm not missing out on this battle."

"We're not going anywhere, Vegeta," Darrin said. He, too, crossed his arms. "Don't try to make us."

"So what's it gonna be?" Aaron asked impatiently. "I don't have all day, you know. Well, actually," he corrected himself, "I have two!" Aaron laughed at his own joke.

"What do you mean?" Goku asked.

"I mean it's already begun!" Aaron declared triumphantly. "The world has two days, then all of humanity will be wiped off the face of the earth!"

"He's already unleashed that blasted virus of his," Vegeta hissed through clenched teeth.

"So in all honesty, Vegeta, I don't see why you want them to leave," Aaron said. "There's no where to go! My Syndrome has covered everything! The minute they set foot outside, they'll be infected!" Aaron smirked. "Just like the rest of those pathetic earthlings."

*_Too late…_* The words flashed across Rienna's mind before she realized what was happening. She shook her head. No, they weren't too late. The world had two days left. There was still hope!

"Even Capsule Corp. can't save you," Aaron added, trying to keep as straight a face as he could. Trunks felt his stomach lurch. But _everyone_ was at Capsule Corp.! He shook his head. They were safe there, for now; even if it was only for a short while. They just needed to get this over with.

Aaron could tell that that had really shaken them up. He tried not to smirk at their faces, astonished and full of anxiety. Vegeta growled and relaxed his stance a little. Aaron took that opportunity to side-kick him into the wall, surprising him enough the Vegeta lost his SS form.

"Grandpa!" his three grandchildren exclaimed. Vegeta muttered something under his breath and picked himself up. He dusted himself off and stood there, tall and proud.

"Listen to me, you filthy piece of scum," Vegeta said sternly. His voice was low and almost soft, but commanded respect all the same. His eyes were full of fiery determination and anger, but the rest of his body didn't show it. "I will _not_ have you destroy my family or this planet! There is no chance of salvation for you or what little honor you ever possessed in your pathetic lifetime. You're dealing with _me_ now, and_ I don't lose!" Vegeta re-entered Super Saiyan form and stared at Aaron, who didn't look impressed in the least._

"I'm sure," he said dryly. They launched at each other and met in the center of the room. Vegeta overwhelmed him with a series of punches and kicks that, to any human, were just a blur. Vegeta kicked out with both feet and knocked him into the wall, creating a large crater and tons of dust. Vegeta narrowed his eyes and tried to sense where Aaron's next attack was coming from. Suddenly, Aaron appeared behind him- but Vegeta was ready. He ducked (dodging Aaron's rather predictable attack) and kicked him up into the air. Aaron flew upwards and hit the ceiling, causing a small bit of plaster to fall. An idea flashed across his mind as he watched the debris hit the floor, and he grinned inwardly. It was so completely obvious, and yet they wouldn't ever suspect it! Why hadn't he thought of it before?

"HA!" Vegeta was about to drill him into the ceiling when Aaron disappeared and reappeared on the ground. Vegeta flipped around and bounced off the wall, landing next to his family.

"Aren't the rest of you going to fight me?" Aaron asked. "Vegeta isn't much of a challenge." Vegeta growled and narrowed his eyes. The hair on his neck bristled. What was he up to? "Of course," he said, turning to the twins, "I can understand if *_you_* don't." Vegeta's eyes widened. No, he wouldn't stoop that low!

"What do you mean?" Leah asked. Adrienne shook her head. She knew her children well, and knew what was coming next; the mixture wasn't a good one.

"Don't listen to him!" she said.

"Quiet, Adrienne!" he snapped. He glared at Vegeta, who was about to yell something at him. "You, too, Vegeta!"

"I will not have you poisoning my grandchildren's minds!" Vegeta shouted angrily. "Don't say another word!"

"Aw, you don't want me to tell them?" Aaron asked, sounding very disappointed. "But I think they should know I'm their great-grandfather."

"Y-you're who?!" the twins stuttered in response.

"Your-"

"ARGH!" Vegeta tackled Aaron and threw him into the wall. Aaron, still a bit stunned, climbed out of his crater and shook his head. Vegeta stood in the middle of the room, seething with rage.

"Grandpa, wait!" Leah cried. Adrienne groaned inwardly.

_*Oh no…* _"Leah," she said. "He's not who you think he is."

"How can he be my great-grandpa!?" Jamie shouted in disbelief.

"He's Adrienne's grandfather," Trunks explained.

"But… I still don't get it. If he's Mom's grandpa, isn't he yours?" Leah asked. Trunks shook his head.

"We're only half-siblings. He's Adrienne's _mother's father."_

"Oh, that's right…"

"Then… I'm related to him!?" This completely blew Jamie's mind. He was the great-grandson of the one person they were trying to defeat! "How can we be related to _you_!?" He clenched his fists and glared at Aaron..

"Read my lips," Aaron said. "I'm. Your. Great. Grandfather. Clear enough?"

"Great-grandpa my butt!" Jamie shouted. "By blood and blood alone!" He went SSJ and glared at Aaron so hard that he could have melted if Jamie had had laser-vision.

"Jamie, don't!" Leah pleaded.

"Leah, just because he's flesh-and-blood doesn't mean he loves you," Darrin said. "Just look at him!" he added with a smirk. "Ugly old fool."

"I'd watch who you're calling ugly, you Backstreet Boy wanna-be!" Aaron said calmly. Darrin's eyes flared. He hated it when people called him that.

_*Chill, Darrin,*_ he told himself. _*Just calm down…*_

"C'mon, Leah, let's make him sorry for what he's done!" Jamie said, going into his battle stance. Leah shook her head.

"I… I can't…!"

"Nonsense!" Vegeta snapped. "Of course you can!"

"No… No, you don't understand!" Leah protested. "I can't kill him! Not now! Not knowing what I know about him…"

"Leah, think about what he's done!" Goku told her.

"Well, whether you fight him or not," Rienna said, clenching her fists and glaring at the old Saiyan. "I will. He killed my brother and took away everything that was ever important to me! And I'm not going to let him get away with it!"

"Fine, stay here, we'll fight him," Goten said.

"But Dad-" Aaron laughed.

"What's so funny!?" Vegeta snarled.

"That I think I've found a new favorite," Aaron said, gesturing at Leah. "Too bad she has to die." Before anyone knew what was happening, a huge explosion rocked the building and brought the roof down on everyone except Vegeta, Leah, and Darrin. While they were distracted, Aaron fired a large blast at Leah, knocking her into the wall and killing her instantly.

"Leah, no!" Darrin cried. He rushed to her side and hoped beyond hope that she was still alive. Vegeta did the same.

"What did I tell you?" Aaron said with a smirk. He sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have done that. I miss her naivete already!"

"SHUT UP!" Darrin shouted at the top of his lungs. He went Super Saiyan and flew into a rage, the like of which even Vegeta had never seen before. Before Aaron even knew what hit him, Darrin sent him flying across the room and through the wall into the next one. Aaron was just standing up when Darrin rammed him again, sending him skidding across the floor. Aaron groaned and stood up, holding his shoulder. He stared with wonder at the young man standing in front of him.

Darrin's eyes were filled with hatred, and the signature green eyes of a Super Saiyan burned brightly- so bright, in fact, that it hurt Aaron's own eyes. Darrin's fists were clenched tightly, tight enough that his knuckles were turning white. 

His heart was pounding inside him so fast that he could barely tell one beat from another. They all bled into one solid pounding. Darrin's head was aching, throbbing with all the pressure. He didn't care. All he could think about was killing the murderer that stood, crippled, before him.

"How dare you!?" he demanded. "How can you do something like this?!" Another attack from Darrin sent Aaron flying again. Darrin slowly approached the injured old villain. "You deserve Hell for this and everything else you've done, today and in the past!" Darrin picked Aaron up by the shirt and bore holes into Aaron's eyes.

"Leah was everything to me!" he shouted in his face. Aaron's sensitive ears rang, and the old man winced. Darrin dropped him so he could stand on his feet… then punched him in the face. "She was the kindest-" Darrin punched him again. "-funniest-" Another punch. "-most beautiful-" Darrin elbowed his face "-and important person to ever walk this planet!" he yelled, kicking Aaron so that he fell over backwards. "I don't even deserve to be in the same room as her!" Darrin picked him back up and blasted him across the room. "You can't just kill people like that! You can't kill anyone!!" Aaron stood up and tried to attack Darrin, but the younger Saiyan blocked and picked Aaron up by the throat. He squeezed hard and narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to kill you for this!" he hissed. "Kami knows you don't deserve to live." Darrin tightened his grip on Aaron's throat, but just as he did so, his eyes widened, and Darrin passed out on the spot, dropping Aaron on the floor. Aaron looked up, bewildered- but his face fell when he saw Vegeta standing there, a determined look on his face.

"Sorry, Darrin," Vegeta said softly. He glared at Aaron. "But no one kills this jackass but me."

The glass shattered, sending Aaron flying out into the orange-covered countryside. Vegeta stood triumphantly in the window, staring out with his eyes narrowed to the fullest extent. Aaron rubbed his jaw where Vegeta had walloped him only a second ago- Aaron could have sworn he'd heard it crack. Aaron smiled. But now he had an advantage.

"Come on out, Vegeta," he taunted. "I'm waiting!" Vegeta snorted.

"Funny, I thought you'd had enough!" Vegeta flew out the window at Aaron. As he did, a dull pain started to fill his chest. _*What?* Vegeta shook his head. __*Maybe he punched me harder than I thought…* Aaron smirked at his opponent._

_*I can't believe he's falling for it!*_ Aaron gloated. _*How stupid can you get?!*_

Behind the two of them, dark storm clouds started to roll in from the city. The menacing clouds threatened to drench the earth in a blanket of steady rain. Neither of them cared. What could rain hurt?

"Feel that?" Aaron asked. Vegeta stopped a few yards from his opponent and glared at him.

"Feel what?!"

"That pain in your chest." Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "Ah, so you do. Good…"

"What are you rambling on about now?!" Vegeta was quickly becoming impatient. Why couldn't people just say what they mean?!

"Oh, nothing…" Aaron said with a smirk. Vegeta growled.

"Just say it, dang it!" he commanded. Aaron chuckled to himself.

"You really do have a short fuse, don't you?" Vegeta snarled again.

"Stop your ranting and fight me!" Aaron shrugged.

"Might as well," he said with a sigh. "Seeing as you won't be able to in too long." Vegeta frowned. Now what was he talking about?! Vegeta pushed the thought from his mind as Aaron charged him again.

Goten groaned and shifted underneath the heavy weight of the rubble covering his body. A few of them rolled off, creating a window through the rocks and letting a little bit of light shine down on his face. He tried to push the rest away, but found that he couldn't. _*Must be lodged in there pretty tight,* Goten thought.. Someone near to him groaned._

"Adrienne?"

"Goten?" Goten smiled.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah…" Adrienne replied groggily. "I think I can get out of here if I move fast enough…"

"Can you move at all?" Adrienne chuckled softly.

"Yeah. Enough to pass through them." She smiled to herself. "Here goes…" The rocks next to Goten suddenly caved in where there had once been support and suddenly Goten's arm was free. Goten smiled. 

"Good job, I think I can move them now." Goten used his free arm to free the rest of his body. Adrienne was standing over him, smiling.

"Hey, you ok?" she asked. She took his hand and helped him to his feet.

"'Course," Goten said with a smile. "Head hurts a bit, but it won't be the first time." He grinned. "Thanks for the help." Adrienne grinned back.

"It pays to be the Speed Demon's daughter."

Trunks opened his eyes and looked around. Why was he covered in rocks? As soon as he'd asked the question, the answer came back to him._ *Oh, yeah…*_ He wondered how long he'd been out. _*Must have hit me pretty hard…*_ He grunted and pushed away a few rocks, uncovering the top half of his body. He sat up, and almost immediately, someone gasped. He turned around and found the pair of them standing there.

"Adrienne! Goten!"

"Trunks!" All three of them grinned at each other and the couple helped Trunks up.

"You ok?" Goten asked his best friend.

"Sure. Must have knocked me out for a while there, though…" he said. He scratched his head and looked back at the pile of rocks he had, until recently, been under. He looked back at Adrienne and snickered.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Sorry, but your hair's a mess!" Trunks said. Adrienne narrowed her eyes at him.

"You don't look so hot yourself," she muttered.

"C'mon, now, no fighting," Goten said. "We need to-"

"Dad…" All three of them heard Jamie's quiet plea and quickly found the young Saiyan under a nearby pile of rocks. He looked up at them and smiled weakly. "Hi."

"Jamie! Great Kami, look at you!" Adrienne exclaimed. She brushed the blood from around his eye where it had trickled down his forehead onto his face. Jamie fought back the urge to roll his eyes.

"It's ok, Mom, I'm all right," he reassured her. Goten offered his son a hand and but Jamie couldn't lift his arm  without sending a sharp pain jolting through his shoulder. Jamie winced. "Maybe not." He looked up at them. "I can't move my right arm!"

"Might be broken," Trunks said gravely. "Can you move your fingers?" Jamie tried to and could barely do so. He shook his head.

"Not without it hurting," he said. Trunks shook his head.

"Has to be broken." Adrienne bit her bottom lip.

"Hey, I'll be ok, Mom! It's just broken! I'm not dead, you know!" Adrienne smiled.

"No, you're not," she agreed.

"Here, give me your other hand," Goten said. Jamie did, and his father helped him up. Jamie held his shoulder with his other hand.

"Hm… We need some kind of sling…" Trunks said. He put crossed his arms and thought for a second. He smacked himself in the head. "Duh, research center…!" He shook his head. "You guys look for the others. I'll be right back." With that, Trunks disappeared.

Vegeta tried to ignore the ever-increasing pain that was growing and spreading throughout his body, but he couldn't help it- it HURT. And the fact this he was fighting Aaron at the same time didn't help much.  Aaron himself, meanwhile, was beside himself with glee. He knew exactly what was going on.

_*It won't be long now…*_ he thought joyously. _*Though I am surprised. In all accounts, he should be crippled by now…*_ Aaron shrugged. _*No matter. He'll end up like the rest of them if I have anything to say about it. And I have plenty to say.*_

Trunks reappeared next to Jamie, who was watching his parents dig through the rubble, with a sling in his hand. "Here you go, Jamie," he said with a smile, holding it up for him to see. 

"Thanks, Uncle Trunks," Jamie said, smiling back. "Gonna need some help getting it on, though," he added with a laugh. Trunks smiled. 

"No problem."

With a little bit of difficulty on Jamie's part, his arm was soon supported and hanging in front of him.

"Thanks," Jamie repeated. "That feels a little better." Trunks smiled.

"Sure."

"Hey, look what I found!" Goten exclaimed suddenly. He held up Rienna's necklace, which was now broken and formerly spread out on the floor. Trunks took it from his best friend and examined the rings carefully. He remembered giving the one to Rienna when she was just six years old. He closed his fist around both rings and looked up at them.

"Guess we'll have to get her a new chain," he said with a small smile. _*If we find her…*_ Trunks mentally scolded himself_. *Stop thinking like that, you moron! Of course we'll find her.*_

"Hey!" Adrienne cried suddenly. She had just moved a few smaller rocks and had uncovered a small, feminine hand.

"Rienna!" Trunks exclaimed. The hand twitched as she heard her voice.

Rienna was certain she was dreaming, though it was completely dark. Obviously she wasn't dreaming about anything, but she had to be dreaming. There wasn't a place on earth that was this dark. It had to be a dream. She suddenly could have sworn she heard someone singing. The voice started out low and hushed, and started to grow. Whoever was singing had the voice of an angel- peaceful, calm, and yet strong and sweet. And the tune… It sounded so familiar, and so did the voice; but Rienna couldn't quite put her finger on it. It certainly wasn't her, that she knew for certain.

Rienna listened closely. As the song continued, the blanketing darkness started to lift, and became dimmer and more opaque with each note. It was almost bright now, and the song started to fade. The singer became slower and softer until Rienna had to strain to hear the words. The voice struck the last note, and faded into nothing. The light, however, remained.

"Wait!" Rienna called. "Come back!" She stared off into the light and hoped for an answer.

"Rienna…" Rienna recognized the voice immediately.

"Mom?"

"I love you…" Rienna smiled.

"I love you, too," she answered.

"Rienna!" Suddenly, Rienna snapped back into reality. She opened her eyes and found herself covered in rocks. 

Vegeta narrowed his eyes and blocked Aaron's latest punch, countering with a kick to Aaron's side. Aaron was pushed sideways a little, but the attack didn't faze him at all. Why wasn't he winning? Vegeta wondered. He was hitting him with all the strength he had earlier. What was wrong? Aaron certainly wasn't getting stronger. Was he getting… weaker? Vegeta's train of thought was interrupted when Aaron attacked him with another series of physical attacks. Aaron found an open spot and hurled Vegeta into the wall of the research building. Vegeta winced and pushed off the wall, charging at Aaron with all his strength. Vegeta rammed into him at top speed, only to bounce backwards. Vegeta held his head in his hand. Why did it feel like he'd just run, full force, into a brick wall?! And why did he feel so dizzy? Vegeta looked up and his eyes widened.

"What?!" Vegeta exclaimed. Instead of one Aaron, there were now three of him, standing there with their arms crossed, gloating over their imminent victory.

"What's wrong, Vegeta?" Aaron asked. The three of them cocked their heads and smirked. "Feeling a bit dizzy?"

Vegeta shook his head. The world was spinning, spinning, spinning… Vegeta started to feel queasy as the earth beneath him spun faster and faster. Before he knew what was happening, Aaron rammed him into the wall again. Vegeta slid down the concrete to the ground. He tried to stand up, but the earth shifted beneath him and he fell over. Aaron laughed.

"About time," he said. He floated down and landed in front of Vegeta softly. Vegeta looked up at him. Even the three Aarons were spinning now! Vegeta groaned and laid his head back down and closed his eyes. He quickly opened his eyes again- closing them made the world spin faster. Aaron gloated over his opponent. "Feel that?" he asked. "That's my creation, my Syndrome you're feeling." Aaron laughed. "I can't believe you actually came out here."

"Is this your idea of justice?!" Vegeta hissed. Aaron laughed again.

"No, this is revenge!" he replied. "With a little bit of fun mixed in."

Suddenly, Rienna found herself staring up into her father's concerned blue eyes. She smiled. "Dad!" she exclaimed. Trunks smiled back at her.

"Hey, kiddo!" he said. "Welcome back." He looked her over. "You ok?"

"Yeah," she replied. Rienna sat up and looked around. She spotted Jamie's arm, and her eyes widened. "Jamie, what happened?"

"Broke it," he said simply. "The rest of me's fine, though." Rienna smiled.

"Good." She and Trunks stood up.

"Oh," Trunks said, opening his fist and revealing her necklace. "I found this. The chain's busted, but the rings are ok." She took it from him and examined the damage.

"Guess I need a new chain, huh?" she asked with a smile. She put the chain and the rings in her pocket. She surveyed the damage to the room. "So the others are still under there?"

"Supposedly," Goten told her.

"Guess we'd better get to work…"

It didn't take them very long to find Goku- the real problem was waking him up. Lucky enough, Rienna had a caramel in her pocket, and that revived the old Saiyan.

"Caramel…" Goku mumbled dreamily. He opened his eyes and stared, cross-eyed, at the piece of unwrapped candy dangling in front of him. He lifted his head and took the candy from her with his teeth, them dropped it in his mouth. Goku purred with pleasure as the milky caramel literally melted in his mouth. Goten shook his head.

"Good thing you had that, Ri," he said, "or we'd have never gotten him up." Rienna smiled.

"I always have one in my pocket. I kinda sneak them out of the candy bowl at home." She grinned. "I can't help it if they're my favorite."

"Sorry, was I out again?" Goku asked, sitting up. "Must have really been out of it…"

"You're always out of it," Trunks muttered under his breath.

"What'd you say, Trunks?"

"Nothin'." Rienna giggled.

"Hey, what'd he say?"

"Nothin'," Rienna repeated innocently.

"Hey, c'mon, that's not fair!" Goku whined. "Tell me!"

"Don't worry about it, Grandpa," Jamie said with a smile.

"You better stop picking on Goku, Trunks," Adrienne warned. "He's going to catch you one of these days."

"What was he saying behind my back?!" Goku demanded.

"Even if I did say something, you can't prove it," Trunks said with a grin. Goku started to pout.

"Everybody's mean to me…!"

"It's ok, Goku," Rienna said. "You know we love you." Goku grinned. Goten nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, Dad," he said. It was then that he noticed Jamie's face had turned white. "Hey, Jamie, what's wrong?" Jamie didn't answer. A tear ran down his cheek as he slowly lifted his good arm and pointed to the opposite wall… where Leah was lying on the floor in a small pool of blood. Adrienne gasped and felt her stomach lurch. The next thing she knew, her legs crumpled under her, and everything went black.

Goten gasped and caught his unconscious wife before she hit the ground. "Adrienne! Adrienne, wake up!"

"No…!" Adrienne moaned in her sleep. "No…! Not Leah…!" She shook her head slowly. "No…!"

"Adrienne, snap out of it!" Adrienne opened her eyes and stared up at Goten.

"Goten…"Adrienne's eyes were full of fear as she gazed up at him. It almost made him cry just looking at her. Adrienne slid out of his grip and onto the floor on her hands and knees. Goten knelt beside her. "How…?" Tears started to stream down her face and onto the floor. "How could he…?" She glared at the floor and watched her small puddle of tears slowly grow larger. "How could he do this!?" Goten put his arm around her and lifted her up into his arms. She leaned against him and sobbed He hugged her tighter and glared over her head at the blood surrounding his daughter.

"Aaron's going to pay," he whispered to himself. "I swear it."

Jamie suddenly burst into tears and fell to his knees next to his sister. He lifted her head and stared at her peaceful face. "Leah!" he cried. "Leah, come back!" He clutched her to his chest and rocked back and forth. "Please!" Goku walked over to him and put his hand on his shoulder. Jamie looked up at him and found that his grandfather was crying as well. "It's not fair, Grandpa!" he protested. Goku nodded.

"I know it's not, Jamie," Goku said quietly. "Nothing's fair in this world." Jamie hung his head.

"We can still bring her back, can't we, Grandpa?" Goku smiled softly.

"'Course we can." Jamie smiled a little. He brushed his sister's bangs out of her eyes and looked down at her again, this time with a new hope.

"Don't worry, Leah, we'll bring you back. No way I'm gonna let you stay like you are."

"That's the spirit," Goku told him. Jamie stood up and walked over to his parents.

"Mom, Dad…" They both looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "I'm going to help Grandpa, Ri,  and Uncle Trunks find the others. You can stay if you want." Goten nodded.

"Alright, Jamie," he said. "Be careful." Jamie nodded back.

"Sure thing." He turned to the other two. "C'mon, let's go." Trunks nodded and pushed off the wall he'd been leaning on. His shirt was splattered with tearstains, and his eyes were red. He looked almost as shaken up as Jamie's parents. "Hey, you ok, Uncle Trunks?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Trunks said with a smile. He turned to his daughter. "How 'bout you, Ri?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Rienna said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "Still… I wonder where Aaron got off to…"

"We'll find him later," Trunks said. "I hate to sound harsh, but the world _does_ have two days. And we have the Dragonballs." The other three nodded.

"'Course, maybe we won't have to look long," Goku said. He pointed past Rienna at a large hole in the wall. "I'm sensing Darrin from in there."

The ground beneath him crunched under his weight as Aaron slammed Vegeta into the ground for a third time. Pain shot through his whole body upon impact. "Darn it…" he muttered under his breath. He couldn't feel his legs at all, but they were useless anyway- Vegeta hadn't even had the chance to stand for the last ten minutes. Not that he'd be able to anymore; Vegeta didn't even think he had the strength.

Aaron had been knocking him around so fast that if he hadn't already been groggy from the Syndrome, Vegeta would have been completely turned around by now. He couldn't even tell where things were anymore. Like when Aaron had charged him last time, Vegeta could have sworn that he was on his left- but when impact came, his right side was what felt it. Nothing was like it should be.

Vegeta pushed himself off the ground with his hands only to be thrown backwards by another of Aaron's attacks. He landed on his back, and the next thing he knew, he was staring into the face of a very satisfied super villain.

"Had enough yet, Vegeta?" The Saiyan Prince narrowed his eyes.

"Never," he hissed.

"Darrin!" Jamie and the others ran into the room and spotted him lying on the floor, unconscious. "Oh man, Darrin! What happened?!" Jamie knelt beside him and checked for his pulse. Jamie sighed with relief. "Pulse is normal. Should be ok when he wakes up."

"Did Aaron do this?" Trunks wondered. Rienna examined the walls and the scorch and skid marks on the floor. She shook her head.

"Somehow, I think it was Darrin," she said.

"But if Darrin was winning, why is he out?" Rienna shrugged.

"Maybe Aaron just caught him off guard." She clenched her fists. "He has a habit of doing that."

"Maybe…"

"Well, we can't just leave him here," Goku said.

"What do you propose we do?" Trunks asked.

"Well, why don't Jamie and I stay here, and you two go look for Vegeta?" Goku suggested. 

Trunks nodded. "Right. C'mon, Ri." She nodded and followed her father out of the room.

As soon as they were out of earshot, she scooted closer to him. "Dad, I don't think it was Aaron that knocked him out."

"What do you mean?"

"At this point, Aaron would be more focused on destroying the world and getting his revenge than anything else. I don't think he leave anyone alive that could stand in his way."

"Maybe he went after your grandfather," Trunks suggested. Rienna shook her head.

"I think it was the other way around." Trunks stopped walking and stared at her in confusion.

"What are you saying?"

_*That's it,*_ Vegeta thought. _*I've failed.*_

He hit the ground again as Aaron swung him around by his leg and thrust him at the earth below. He didn't care- Vegeta had long since lost any feeling in his body at all. The previous pain, along with the Syndrome, had completely numbed his senses. In all honesty, he was surprised he hadn't lost consciousness yet.

_*I've failed everyone… my family, my friends… and I've failed Trunks, again.*_ He let his mind wander from the battle (if that's what you could call it) to other places, other times. _*It's my fault we're even here in the first place,*_ Vegeta thought. _*I should have done something, right then and there! What a fool I am…*_

Aaron batted him around a bit more before slamming him into the ground again. He laughed and stared down at Vegeta with a crazed satisfactory look on his face.

"Vegeta, you fool! Give it up! You can't win!" Vegeta snapped back into his senses and glared up at Aaron, who was hovering several feet above him "You just can't beat me!" Above them, the clouds that had been threatening to cover the battle with rain decided to carry out their threat. Soon it was pouring down in sheets.

"Shut your big mouth!" Vegeta croaked. 

"Losing your voice, are you? Or do you not have the energy to speak?"

"Even if this is a losing battle, I'll fight you to the death!" Surprising even himself, Vegeta stood up and stared at Aaron defiantly.

"So you do have a bit of energy left in you," Aaron said. "I'm surprised. Under normal circumstances, you would be dead."

"These aren't normal circumstances," Vegeta said sternly. Aaron started to pop his knuckles.

"I guess they aren't." He smirked. "But the outcome is the same- one Saiyan, down and out."

"Well it won't be me!" He didn't know how he did it, but suddenly Vegeta felt all of his energy flood back to him and channel down into his fists. Vegeta yelled something in his rage, and before either of them quite knew what was happening, a large energy blast engulfed the two of them. It lit up the sky so brightly that it blotted out the lightning that was beginning to strike all over the countryside. Aaron looked down at Vegeta, his eyes wide as they could go.

"How could this be?!" he shouted. Vegeta narrowed his eyes and smirked.

"You underestimated the power of a true Super Saiyan." Aaron clenched his fists and started to fade into the light.

"Curse you, Vegeta!!" With that, both Aaron and the blast disappeared into nothingness, and Vegeta was left alone in the heavy rain. He suddenly realized how labored his breathing was, and how weak his legs felt under his weight. He looked down at his hands, and then up into the rain where Aaron had been standing. His head was swimming, throbbing with every heavy heartbeat. It was all he could do to keep his eyes open.

"There," he said softly. "I did it." A tear rolled down his cheek as he smiled. "I fixed it, Trunks…" Vegeta let his fatigue wash over his body and collapsed on the ground face first.

Oh my... What has happened to Vegeta?! Erm, yes... CLIFF-HANGER!!! *cackles maniacally* Don't you hate them? ....You do?! Then click the next chapter, already! Er... after you r/r, of course. ^^


	10. Nothing Left to Live For

Syndrome

DISCLAIMER: I do *_not_* own DBZ (Hee hee…. _Yet_… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!

. : : Chapter 11 : The Final Hurdle : : .

Trunks knelt down and unzipped the accursed backpack, revealing six of the seven precious Dragonballs. Goten watched, the last ball in his hand, as Trunks gently rolled them out of the bag. Trunks looked up at him and nodded. Goten crouched down next to Trunks and placed the three-star ball next to the others.

"You ready to do this?" Trunks asked. Goten nodded.

"Yeah." They both stood up, and stared up into the rain.

"HEY, SHENRON!!"

Back at Capsule Corp., everyone was pacing anxiously about the building.

"I dunno if he's going to pull through this time," Krillin said glumly.

"Hush, Krillin!" Eighteen hissed. She glanced at Bra, who was staring intently out the window.

"Oh, sorry…" Marron walked over to her and put her hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ok?" Bra nodded without taking her eyes off the outside world.

"I'm fine…" she said softly.

"You sure?" Bra nodded again. 

"Yeah, thanks."

"Alright…" Marron looked at her mother, shrugged sympathetically, and walked away. Bra continued to stare out the window for any sign of her brother. She forced herself to keep hoping that they'd return on time. _*Daddy's getting so weak…* _A silent tear slid down her cheek.

"Trunks… hurry back…"

Rienna was sitting in the window seat, her knees pulled up to her chest. She was fingering the two rings that hung around her neck. Alex had offered her the chain she always wore around her neck ("You need it more than I do."), and Rienna had accepted gratefully. She dropped Aedan's class ring and held her mother's in the light.

*_Dad… you said you'd never leave me, but I left you… Now I don't know where I fit in._* Rienna sighed. *_I really shouldn't be here. I don't belong here…_* Why it hadn't dawned on her before, she didn't know. But this wasn't her home, as much as she and the others wanted it to be.

She picked up Aedan's ring and stared at the bright red stone in the center. Aedan liked red… She smiled. As she stared into the stone, Aedan's face appeared and started to smile back at her. Gosh, she missed him already.

"Hey, Ri." Rienna looked up.

"Huh? Oh, hey, Jamie."

"Hi. Mind if I sit next to you?" Rienna smiled and shook her head. She swung her legs over the side to make room for her cousin.

"No. Go ahead." Jamie smiled.

"Thanks." He hopped up next to her and looked out the window. "Whatcha doing?"

"Thinking…"

"Oh…" He looked at her quizzically. "Just thinking?"

"Yeah…"

"What about?" Rienna hesitated. "Sorry, didn't mean to pry." She shook her head.

"No, that's ok…" She smiled weakly and held up Aedan's ring.

"*_Oh_*…"

"Yeah…" Jamie smiled at her.

"He loves you, too, ya know." Rienna blushed and stared at her cousin in astonishment.

"Wait- how- what?" Jamie laughed.

"It *_is_* rather obvious." Rienna blushed some more and looked down at her feet.

"Is it *_that_* obvious?" Jamie nodded.

"Yep." Rienna groaned. Jamie laughed again.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I won't give you a hard time." He hopped down form his perch beside her and grinned. "And in case they *_haven't_* noticed, which is very unlikely-" Rienna groaned again. "-I won't give away your secret." She smiled.

"Thanks, Jamie."

"No prob." She went back to staring at the ring in her hand. "I know you miss him, but he'll be back." Rienna's face brightened.

"Yeah, I know…" She smiled. "Thanks again." Jamie shrugged.

"It's the least I can do." He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked off. Rienna watched as he disappeared up the stairs. She grinned. She wasn't going to have any trouble at all.

"How are we going to tell when they summon Shenron?" Pan asked her father. "It's already a complete thunderstorm out there. How will we tell the difference?"

"We will, Pan, trust me. There'll be a difference."

"If you say so…" Bra stood back and pointed out the window.

"*_That's_* different!" The clouds had just turned a shade of deep purple, so dark it almost looked black. The lightning was a shade of bright blue, now, as well.

"…" Gohan looked at Pan with an "I told you so" look on his face. She crossed her arms.

"Oh, shut up." Gohan grinned back at her. Krillin rushed into the room, his arms flailing.

"Guys, guys, have you seen the sky?! They summoned Shenron!"

"…" The group looked at each other and back at Krillin, completely emotionless.

"…Come on, you guys should be happy!! Vegeta's gonna pull through, and Leah's coming back!" This thought seemed to cheer them all up. They started whooping and hollering at the top of their lungs. Bra smiled and stared at the brilliant blue lightning.

"You did it, Trunks…!"

Shenron the Eternal Dragon loomed above them, glowing with a radiant white light. The clouds had changed from black to purple, and the lightning was now blue. "Wow…" Goten said. "I forgot how big he is…"

"Yeah…"

"YOU HAVE SUMMONED ME," Shenron boomed. Both of them snapped into reality as his voice thundered in their ears. "I WILL GRANT YOU TWO WISHES. WHAT IS YOUR FIRST WISH?"

Goten cleared his throat. "Our first wish, Shenron, is that those infected with the virus would be healed!" 

"YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND." Shenron's eyes flashed red for a moment then went back to normal. Both friends looked at each other and smiled.

Vegeta awoke with a start. Was he dreaming, or had his energy returned to him in that last instant? Vegeta opened his eyes and lifted his head. Bulma was holding his hand with her head down on the bed. Goku and the others had left them alone quite some time ago and Bulma had cried herself to sleep. He smiled. It hadn't been a dream.

Vegeta stroked her blue hair lovingly. "Bulma," he whispered softly. "Wake up." Bulma's eyes flickered open, and she looked up at him. He stared back into her eyes and smiled. "Hi."

"Vegeta!" Bulma cried. She threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight. "They did it!" she shouted happily. "They got the Dragonballs! You're alive!" Vegeta snickered.

"Of course I'm alive, woman!" he said. "You don't think a dumb *_disease_* would take care of the Saiyan Prince, did you?" Bulma laughed.

"You're so stupid!" she said. "How dare you scare me like that!?"

"I'm sorry," he said with a small smile. "I didn't mean to."

"Well don't do it again!!" Vegeta pulled her closer.

"I won't. I promise."

"YOUR FIRST WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED," Shenron said. "WHAT IS YOUR SECOND WISH?" Trunks stepped forward.

"Shenron, we want everyone that Aaron's killed to be brought back to life."

"YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND." Again, Shenron's eyes flashed red. "YOUR SECOND AND FINAL WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED." Trunks and Goten smiled. Their appreciation for that Dragon was steadily increasing.

"Thanks, Shenron!" Goten called. "You're the best!" Shenron didn't answer. Instead, his body was engulfed in blinding light, and the Dragonballs shot off into separate corners of the world. Trunks sighed and smiled.

"It's finally over."

"Yeah." They high-fived each other and grinned.

"Alright!!"

Leah's eyes popped open. Was she alive? She sat up, placing her hand in something sticky. She jumped, looked down at her hand, and gasped. "What?!" There it was- blood. A whole pool of it, sitting underneath her. She looked down at her clothes. They were soaked with blood, her blood. "I can't be alive!"

Leah stood up and pinched herself. "Nope, I'm alive and kicking, all right." She looked around and spotted the broken window. The others must have left to gather the Dragonballs, she decided. She was about to go look for Brian, who they had undoubtedly left behind as well, when she felt this sense of impending danger in her heart. "Darrin!" She disappeared without a second thought.

Brian groaned and opened his eyes. "Am I… alive?" He pushed himself up into a sitting position with a grunt and sat back to look around. "I could have sworn…" He shook his head. "This is too weird… I was dead a second ago…" Brian closed his eyes. Everyone seemed to be at home, except for Goten and his father, who were on their way there. He opened his eyes, shook his head again, and stood up. "Then home it is."

Aedan sat up and looked around, a puzzled look on his face. "Whoa… do I have one heck of a headache… But… why am I alive? I thought I was dead! Not that I want to be dead…" Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. "Wait, if *_I'm_* alive… then…" Aedan stood up and ran off down the hall. "DAD!"

"Darrin!" Darrin closed his eyes and sighed.

"Great, now I'm even hearing her voice inside my head…"

"Darrin, stop! Please!" Suddenly, it hit him.

"Leah?" He turned around only to be tackled and thrown to the roof. Leah had wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight.

"Darrin, don't! Please, don't!" she sobbed.

"Leah! I- I thought you were-"

"They brought me back! I'm alive!" She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "And I want you to be, too!" Suddenly, she glared up at him. "Why would you go and do a stupid thing like this?! You scared me half to death!" His eyes softened and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Oh, Leah, I'm sorry," he said softly. "I… I was doing it for you… I thought-"

"Well, forget what you thought! I'm alive!" She squeezed him tighter. "Don't you *_ever_* do something like this again!" He held her close and shook his head.

"I hope I'll never have to," he said to himself.

"What?" Darrin held her back so he could look her in the face.

"Leah… I… I wanted to tell you…" He swallowed his pride and his anxiousness and stared deep into her eyes. "…I love you. When he… when he killed you, I- I couldn't take it. I went crazy. Every bone in my body wanted to tear him to pieces. I lost control… Then Vegeta got him, and I couldn't handle it. I came up here, and..." He shook his head. "The one thing I lived for had been taken away from me. What was I going to do?" Darrin's own eyes filled with tears, and he stared into her eyes again. "Leah, I'm so sorry. I guess I wasn't thinking."

"Darrin, I… I don't know what to say…" She threw her arms around his neck again. "Except that… I love you, too." Darrin smiled and closed his arms around her waist.

"Don't you ever leave me again," he whispered in her ear. She shook her head.

"Never." Leah looked up at him and smiled and leaned closer to him- so close their noses were almost touching. "I love you too much." Darrin's eyes filled with tears.

"I love you more," he said. "Much more." He put his hand on her cheek and pulled her into a kiss.

"THEY'RE HOME!" Krillin screamed at the top of his lungs. Nearly everyone rushed to the closest window to see for themselves. Rienna smiled when she saw the two advancing figures.

"Dad!"

"Mom, Dad's back!" Jamie exclaimed. The two of them rushed out the door and took off to meet them. Adrienne was quick to follow, and, of course, got to them first.

"Goten!" she cried happily. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "You did it!"

"Yeah, we did, didn't we, Trunks?" Goten said with a smile.

"Yeah."

"Dad!" Something large rammed Trunks, sending him backwards a few feet.

"Rienna?!"

"Dad, I'm so glad to see you!" she exclaimed. "Grandpa's doing great! It's like he was never hurt in the first place!" Trunks smiled.

"Of course," he said. "You didn't doubt us, did you?" She shook her head and grinned.

"Not for a second!"

"Hi, Dad!" Jamie said cheerfully. "You're back!"

"Yep, we're back!" Goten said. He put his arm around Jamie's shoulders and grinned. "Boy, have we got a story for you!"

"What do you mean?"

"You'll never guess where the last Dragonball was!" Trunks cleared his throat rather loudly.

"Maybe we should go in and say hi to the others."

"Oh, right… then we can tell everybody!" Goten gave Trunks a painfully innocent smile. Trunks, instead, shot him a dirty look. Goten didn't seem to mind, and grinned. "What?" he asked innocently.

"You know 'what'…" Trunks muttered.

"Well, come on, everyone's waiting," Adrienne said. "No use standing out here in the rain, anyway."

"Yeah, I'm soaked!" Jamie exclaimed. "Let's get out of here!" He waved for them to follow and took off towards the house.

"I dunno, Jamie, I like it," Rienna said, following him.

"You like your clothes sticking to you like that?" Rienna shrugged.

"Yeah."

"You're crazy."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Am not!" Their conversation faded out of earshot as they got farther away.

"Well, come on," Adrienne told them.

"Coming!" Trunks told her. She nodded and took off after the kids. Before he could follow, Trunks grabbed the back of Goten's drenched shirt and pulled him back. "You do know that if you say one word, I will not hesitate to kill you." Goten stuck his tongue out at him.

"In front of everyone, too. Can I get it on tape?" Trunks growled at him, causing Goten to laugh and fly off.

"Goten, get back here!"

"You'll have to catch me before you can kill me!" Goten shouted in a singsong tone.

"Shouldn't take me long, then!"

"HEY!"

"Goodness, Trunks, you're soaked!" Bulma exclaimed when they walked in the door. "I'll go get some towels!"

"Thanks, Mom," Trunks said. He sneezed. "Jeez, wasn't this cool outside…"

"Yeah," Goten agreed. Trunks sneezed again. "Hey, I hope you're not coming down with something." Trunks shook his head.

"Nah. Not me. I don't get sick." Bulma reappeared with the towels and passed them out among them. They all wrapped themselves up and were ushered into the living room. The rest of them followed.

"Might need another towel, Mom," Trunks said. His was already soaked through.

"Kami knows…!" Bulma rushed off and came back with a whole stack of towels. "And there's more if we need them."

"Where's Dad?" Trunks asked.

"Went off to find Brian and Leah," Goku explained. Bulma sighed.

"I couldn't stop him."

"At least he's feeling better," Goten said. They all nodded.

"Yeah," Jamie said. The door suddenly opened, and two dripping-wet Saiyans walked into the room.

"LEAH!" The group on the couch jumped to their feet in surprise.

"Leah!" Jamie cried. He dropped his towel and rushed to his older sister, throwing his arms around her. "Great Kami! I missed you!" She smiled and hugged him back.

"I missed you, too, Jamie," she said.

"Leah, I can't believe it!" Adrienne exclaimed. She and Goten hugged her as well. "Thank Dende, you're back!"

"We missed you," Goten said. "You really scared us."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Leah said. Adrienne shook her head.

"It's not your fault." She smiled at both of them. "Come on into the living room, we've got towels."

"Yeah, and if we run out, you two can share," Trunks said with a grin. Leah and Darrin both looked at each other and blushed, taking separate towels from Bulma. Goten didn't appreciate the joke. He glared at his best friend and smacked him in the back of the head while no one was looking. "Ow!" Trunks rubbed his sore head and muttered something under his breath.

"I hope Vegeta realizes you're here," Bulma said thoughtfully.

"Hey, where is Grandpa?" Leah asked.

"He went looking for you and Brian." Leah gasped.

"Oh my gosh! I completely forgot! I was going to bring him home with me!"

"Why didn't you?" Gohan asked. Leah hesitated.

"I got sidetracked," she said finally.

"Oh."

"We're home!!" Vegeta declared. He and Brian walked through the door.

"Grandpa!" Leah exclaimed. She rushed over to her grandfather and hugged him. Vegeta smiled.

"Leah!" he cried happily. "Thank Dende!"

"Hiya, Lee!" Brian said.

"Brian! You're back!" Trunks exclaimed. He stood and walked over to him. Brian grinned.

"Yo, Dad! Miss me?"

"Did I ever!" he shouted. He hugged his son and smiled. "Welcome home."

"Thanks, Dad." He stood back and looked past his father at his sister. Brian smiled. "Hi, Ri." She smiled back at him and went to meet him.

"Hi." She hugged him tightly. "Welcome back."

"It's good to be back," he answered. "I'm glad to see you made it."

"'Course I made it. But only 'cause of you." Rienna smiled. "Thanks for everything."

"No problem," Brian said with a grin. "What are big brothers for?"

"Right." Brian looked down at his shirt (which now had water stains all over it). He looked back at his father and sister, who, he realized, were sopping.

"Boy, you guys are soaked! What happened?"

"Out in the rain," Trunks said. He sneezed again.

"Are you sure you're not sick?" Goten asked.

"I'm telling you, I don't get sick!" Trunks said angrily.

"Sure, Trunks…" Adrienne said, rolling her eyes.

"I don't!" Vegeta cleared his throat and stared at his son impatiently. Trunks smiled at him. "Aw, poor Dad wants a hug, too!" he teased. Vegeta glared at him.

"Don't even think about it."

"Aw, why not?" Trunks smirked at him and took a small step towards him just to see his father's reaction. Vegeta's eyes widened a little.

"No!" he shouted. Trunks laughed.

"Ok, then, your loss." He smiled at Vegeta. "But it's good to see you on our feet." Vegeta scoffed.

"'Bout time someone said something."

"We really were worried, Grandpa," Rienna said. Vegeta smiled.

"I know. Thanks."

"Dad said 'thanks!'" Trunks exclaimed. "It's a miracle!"

"Miracle my butt," Vegeta snarled. "Hope you were recording, 'cause I'm never saying it again!" Goku laughed.

"I dunno, Vegeta…"

"Shut up, Kakarott!"

"Brian!" Brian looked up at the stairs and saw his girlfriend standing at the top. Her eyes were red and her cheeks tear-stained.

"Alex!?"

"Brian!" She rushed down the stairs and into his arms. "Oh, Brian, when they told me what happened-"

"I know, I know," he said softly. "I'm sorry for making you worry. But it's ok now, I'm back." Alex smiled and wiped her tears away.

"I know. And I'm glad." Before either of them could say anything else, the doorbell rang. "Huh?"

"Who could that be?" Bulma wondered aloud. Chi-Chi stood up.

"I'll get it," she said sweetly. She walked to the door and opened it. "Hi, may-" Chi-Chi gasped. "You're-"

"O-oh, sorry, have we met before?"

"You…" Chi-Chi shook her head and smiled at the young visitor. "Sorry, you just look like my son." Everyone in the living room looked at each other curiously. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I'm looking for someone. Is there a girl named Rienna here?" Chi-Chi cocked her head.

"Rienna? Oh, are you a friend of hers?" By now, Rienna had jumped off the couch and rushed to the door.

"Aedan!" she cried happily. Aedan smiled back at her.

"Hi, Ri!" She threw her arms around him and laughed.

"You're back! I can't believe it!"

"Neither can I," Aedan told her. "But something tells me you know more about this than I do." Rienna smiled.

"You could say that." It was now that she noticed that Aedan was wearing different clothes: a long-sleeved navy shirt replaced his usual tank.

"Rienna! Rienna!!"

"Huh?" Rienna looked down and braced herself just before a little boy latched himself onto her legs. He had short, brown hair, blue eyes, and a few freckles on his cheeks and nose. "Jeremy!"

"Hiya, Ri! Boy, am I glad to see you!" Rienna smiled at him.

"I'm glad to see you, too!"

"You wouldn't believe it!" Jeremy exclaimed. He started to get really excited and was talking extremely fast for a six-year-old. "There was this guy and Mom and I were making cookies and waiting for you guys to get home when he came in the house and he scared the snot out of me 'cause he was really big and tall and the next thing I knew I was in Heaven with Mommy which was kinda scary but it was nice up there and the people are really nice too but ANYWAY Daddy came to visit and then Aedan did too but now we're all back together here and I'm not sure why but I REALLY DON'T CARE!!" Jeremy took a deep breath and grinned up at her. Aedan started laughing.

"Yeah, that about sums it up," he said.

"Well it sounds like you've been through a lot lately." Jeremy nodded and smiled.

"Yup, but that's ok, 'cause now we're all back together!"

"Sure are, kiddo," Aedan said, ruffling his hair. Jeremy laughed.

"Wait…" They both looked at Rienna curiously. "If you're all back together, then Ruben and Jessica…" Aedan grinned.

"You betcha." Rienna smiled.

"Really?! Where are they!?" Almost on cue, Ruben and a brunette about his age came up the drive from their little blue car. "Ruben!" Ruben looked up at her and smiled.

"Hi, Rienna," he said cheerfully. "Long time no see." Rienna laughed.

"No kidding!" she exclaimed, hugging him as he finally met her. "Gosh, I'm glad to see you." She looked at the woman next to Ruben. "And you, too, Jessica," she added. Jessica smiled.

"Good to see you, Ri," she said, hugging the young Saiyan. "It's good to be back."

"Well, don't just stand there in the rain," Chi-Chi said finally, being the kind-hearted person that she is. "Come on in and make yourselves comfortable!"

"Oh, thank you," Ruben said.

"Wow, never been in Capsule Corp.," Aedan said. Rienna laughed. "What?"

"Nothing." Jeremy hopped around her feet, wordlessly begging to be carried. She looked down at him and smiled. "Alright, come here, you!"

"Yaaaay!" Jeremy squealed. He hopped up into her waiting arms and grinned. Aedan shook his head and sighed.

"What?" Rienna asked.

"Nothing."

"Where… where am I?" As much as she tried, she couldn't open her eyes. "That's odd… It's like I'm frozen… but… I'm not cold…" She mentally shook her head. "Something tells me I'm not in Otherworld anymore…"

 The hair on Vegeta's neck bristled as the boy's father walked into the room. Adrienne also recognized him, and she clenched her fists and glared at him. Ruben saw them both and immediately felt unwelcome. Luckily, Rienna saw them as well.

"Ok, ok, calm down," she said, glancing at Vegeta. "I know what you're thinking. It's ok, trust me." Adrienne kept her eyes narrowed but relaxed her fists. Vegeta's body remained on edge. Rienna stared him in the face. "Grandpa…" Vegeta grunted and slumped back in his chair. She smiled. "Thanks."

Aedan looked from Rienna to Vegeta to his father, and back again. "…I missed something, here…"

"I did too," Jessica said. Ruben swallowed.

"Well, it's a bit hard to explain…"

"Maybe another time," Trunks said. Ruben shot him a grateful look. Trunks nodded to acknowledge him. 

"Um, right, anyway…" Rienna gestured to the Kinamoras. "This is Ruben Kinamora and his family- Jessica, Jeremy, and Aedan."

"Hi," everyone chorused.

"Here, have a seat," Trunks said, standing up and freeing his end of the couch. "Though it might be a little wet…"

"I don't mind!" Jeremy hopped down from Rienna's arms and plopped down on the couch where Trunks had been sitting. Rienna laughed.

"Well then!"

"You know, we might want to go change," Jamie suggested. Goten nodded.

"Good idea."

"I have plenty of clothes upstairs," Bulma said. "Come on."

"As long as I don't get stuck with one of your dresses," Adrienne said, crossing her arms and following her.

"You won't," Bulma said. She smiled. "It won't be mine."

"MOM!"

"Kidding, Adrienne."

"Better be," she muttered under her breath. Vegeta smirked.

*_That's my girl!_*

"We'll be right back," Rienna told Aedan. "Make yourselves at home."

"Thanks," he said. Rienna smiled and followed her grandmother up the stairs. Leah, Jamie, Darrin, Goten, and Trunks all followed.

"So, uh…" Brian said. "How do you know Ri?" Aedan sweat-dropped.

"Well, er, it's a looooooong story…"

Soon everyone was back downstairs with a change of clothes.

"Thanks for the skirt, Leah," Rienna was saying. She was wearing a red short-sleeved shirt and white skirt with a pair of white tennis shoes.

"I never wore it anyway," Leah said, shrugging. She had a one-piece floral blue dress that stopped above her knees. Trunks and Goten were wearing red and green long-sleeve t-shirts (respectively) and khaki pants. Jamie's shirt was blue.

"Stupid skirt…!" Adrienne muttered something under her breath and tugged on the short orange skirt she'd been stuck with. Her tank was a lighter shade of orange with a yellow stripe across it. "At least it's orange…!" Trunks laughed. "Shut up, Trunks! Let's see you wear one of these!"

"Shh, don't give Bra ideas!" Goten told her with a laugh. This cheered her up a bit.

"Hey, that's not funny, Goten!" Bra whined from her seat in the living room. Goten laughed.

"Sorry, Bra. Just thinking about the old days."

"You make us sound as old as Mom," Trunks said. Bulma gasped and picked up the nearest blunt object (which happened to be a pillow), hurling it at her son. Trunks easily dodged it and laughed. Vegeta laughed as well.

"Oh, shut up, Vegeta! You're older than I am!" she shouted.

"Do I care?" he asked with a chuckle. Bulma glared at him threateningly.

"Come on, don't fight!" Chi-Chi said good-naturedly. "We're all together again for the first time in a while! We need to enjoy it!" She smiled at the Kinamoras. "And we have guests."

"You're right, Chi-Chi!" Goku said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "I think we should celebrate! We saved the earth-"

"-again," Trunks said with a laugh. Goku nodded and grinned.

"Again," he repeated. "And we got Ri back!" Rienna blushed and looked at her feet. "We should have a party!"

"Hmph, we don't need a party," Vegeta said.

"Cool! A party!" Jeremy squealed. Vegeta shot him a look, and Jeremy moved closer to Rienna. She smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Now, Jeremy," Jessica said, "we haven't even been invited."

"Well, of course you can come!" Bulma said cheerfully. "Any friend of Rienna's is a friend of ours!"

"Some friends…" Vegeta muttered. Rienna sent him a stern look, but no one else seemed to catch what he'd said.

"A party it is, then!" Goten cheered.

"I'll bring the food!" Videl called.

"You can't possibly fix enough food for all of us!" Jessica exclaimed. Bulma smiled. She didn't know the half of it! "I'll help you!"

"Thanks," Videl said, smiling.

"It's the least I can do."

"We'll help, too," Marron said. "Right, Bridgett?"

"Sure!" her daughter exclaimed excitedly.

"What about decorations…?" Goku wondered aloud.

"Don't you worry about that, Goku," Bulma said. "Leave the décor to me!"

"Yeah, Mom's got enough balloons to float this place to New Namek!" Trunks said.

"Balloons!" Jeremy cheered.

"What else do we need…?" Adrienne asked.

"Games!" Jeremy piped. Aedan laughed and shook his head.

"Look, kiddo, we can think up plenty of games ourselves!"

"Yeah!!" Rienna laughed.

"And I'm sure Ri wouldn't mind helping, either."

"Yeah, Ri!" Jeremy said, tugging on her arm. He gave her the puppy-dog eyes.

"Please?" Aedan said. Just to humor his little brother, Aedan also gave her that pathetic, pleading look. Rienna laughed again.

"I'm sure the three of us can think of something," she said.

"Yay!"

"Is there anything we're forgetting?" Bulma asked.

"Uh……." Everyone racked their brains, trying to think of anything they might have forgotten that's essential for a party.

"How about a sparring match?" Vegeta suggested. Goku grinned.

"Yeah!"

"No," Chi-Chi said sternly. "You all just got back from a fight! You need to rest and relax for once!"

"Aw, Chi-Chi/Aw, Grandma…!" Goku and Jamie whined in unison.

"Don't you 'Aw, Chi-Chi' me, Son Goku!" Chi-Chi warned him. Goku stuck out his bottom lip and whimpered.

"We should get busy, then!" Gohan said. "This is going to take a while to prepare!"

"Yeah, no kidding," Krillin agreed, looking around at the large group in the living room.

"Then let's hop to it!" As the words had come out of her mouth, Adrienne just knew someone was going to say something. She was right.

"'Hop to it'? What kind of stupid-"

"Shut up, Trunks!"

"Aedan, gimme a piggy-back ride!" Jeremy shouted. He looked up at his brother expectantly. Aedan stopped talking to Brian and looked down at him sympathetically.

"Not now, squirt, I'm busy."

"But Aedan, you're not doing anything!"

"I'm talking to Brian."

"But *_that's_* no fun!" Brian laughed.

"C'mon, Jeremy, go find Rienna. I'm sure she'd love to."

"But Aedan-" Aedan gave his little brother a stern look. "Oh, fine!" He stomped off towards the living room. Aedan sighed.

"That kid… So, what were you saying?"

"Oh, I was going to ask you…"

"Meanie," Jeremy muttered under his breath. "I'll just have to find someone else!" The little boy yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Maybe not… I'm awfully tired." Suddenly, he spotted Leah and Darrin sitting on the couch. Darrin had his arm around Leah's shoulder. Jeremy grinned and hopped up on the couch, squeezing himself in-between them. "Hi, Leah!" he said sweetly. He grabbed her arm, leaned his head against her shoulder, and closed his eyes. Darrin frowned slightly.

"Hey…!"

"Oh, he's so cute!" Leah exclaimed with a laugh. She ruffled his hair. Jeremy tried to pretend he was asleep, but couldn't help grinning.

"That's not fair…" Darrin muttered. "Attention thief."

Bulma hummed to herself as she prepared the decorations in the dining room. It'd been quite a while since everyone had gotten together for a big bash like this. In fact, they hadn't since Chloe died. Suddenly, Bulma dropped the roll of streamers she'd been holding and gasped. "Oh great Kami!" She immediately rushed out of the room, not even bothering to pick up the streamers. Pan stared after her.

"What's up with her?" Goku shrugged and started to blow up another balloon.

"Skirt looks nice, Adrienne," Trunks said with a grin. Adrienne glared at him and tugged on her skirt.

"Shut up, Trunks!" she shouted angrily. Trunks grinned at her and stuck out his tongue.

"Come here and make me, then!" Adrienne clenched her fists and was about to belt Trunks across the face when Goten held her back.

"Lemme go! I'm gonna hurt him!"

"We know," Goten and Bra chorused. Trunks frowned.

"Hey!"

"Serves you right, you coward!" Adrienne yelled. "This isn't the first time you've hidden behind somebody else!"

"I'm not hiding behind anybody, Dri!" Trunks said. "I never have!"

"Oh yeah?! Remember that time…"

"Let me go!" A six-year-old Adrienne shouted. She was being held back by Vegeta. "I'm gonna kill him!"

"Adrienne, stop it," Vegeta said sternly.

Trunks stood in front of her with his hands on his hips. "Too bad I have Daddy to protect me, *_huh_*?"

Adrienne scowled and spit- right in his smirking, arrogant face. Trunks gasped. "MOMMY!!!!!" Trunks ran into the kitchen, waving his arms around. "Mommy, Mommy, Adrienne spit on me! GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF! COOTIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"I'm trying, Trunks!" Bulma exclaimed, finally wiping the spit off his forehead.

"Now, Adrienne," Vegeta said, trying very hard not to laugh as he disciplined his child. "You don't-" Smirk. "-spit-" Smirk widens. "-in people's-" Stifles laugh. "-faces!"

Trunks stared at his sister in silence. Goten laughed.

"You never told me about that before!" he exclaimed. "You actually spit on him?"

"You bet I did," Adrienne said proudly. "Didn't I, Cootie-boy?" Trunks blushed and glared at her.

"Shut up, Adrienne!" His sister smirked.

"Make me, why don't you?" Trunks clenched his fists.

"Don't tempt me."

"Come on, guys, no fighting!" Bra whined.

"You stay out of this!" they said in unison. Bra gasped.

"Fine!" She turned on her heel and left. "Daddy!" As soon as she was gone, Adrienne jumped on her brother with a shout and started to beat the crap out of him. Goten sweat-dropped.

"Haven't grown up at all…"

Jeremy wandered around the house, looking for a lap to sit in. Leah had had to help someone in the kitchen, so his sleep-spot had been taken away. Aedan was busy talking to Brian still, and Jeremy knew full well that once he got talking, he wouldn't stop.

The little chibi sighed. What's a kid to do to find a decent lap to sit in?

"Hey, Jeremy!"

"Huh?" Jeremy looked up to see Leah pass him on her way back to the living room. She ruffled his hair as she went by and smiled at him. He grinned. "Hi!" Leah waved and disappeared into the living room. As soon as she left, Jeremy's grin widened. He'd rediscovered his sleep-spot.

Bulma rushed into the lab and hurriedly flipped on the light switch. "Where is it?! Oh my gosh, I can't believe I forgot…!" She ran around the room, looking fervently for her object. She finally found it sitting in a corner- a long, elliptical machine made of a silver-colored metal. She smiled. "Found you." She walked over to the machine and typed something into the control panel. She then hit a large green button at the end, causing the lid to open with a hiss. "Sorry it took so long."

Jeremy chuckled devilishly to himself and peered over the back of the couch. Darrin was sitting with Leah in his lap- both were watching TV. Jeremy grinned and walked around to the front of the couch. He looked up at them expectantly and was about to open his mouth to say something when Darrin interrupted him.

"Bug off, you little thief," he said calmly. Jeremy frowned, and his lip began to tremble. He stared up at Leah with large hurt-filled eyes and started to cry. Leah gasped.

"Darrin, look what you've done!" she scolded him. She scooped Jeremy up and set him in her lap. He sniffed and leaned his head against her. Darrin peered over her shoulder and glared at the little Saiyan that had once again stolen his girlfriend. While Leah wasn't looking, Jeremy grinned at Darrin and stuck out his tongue. Darrin almost gasped.

*_Why you little…!_*

"Darrin, stop giving him a hard time!" Leah told him. Jeremy grinned even wider at Darrin, and Darrin could just imagine little devil horns sprouting out of the boy's head.

"I do not like that child…"

"AEDAN KINAMORA, COME GET YOUR LITTLE BROTHER!!!" Brian stopped mid-sentence and stared in the direction of the living room.

"Oh boy. Darrin doesn't sound too happy…" Brian said thoughtfully.

"Uh oh," Aedan said. "Wonder what Remy did now."

"Who knows," Brian said with a shrug.

"Guess I'd better go find out."

"I'll come with you." Aedan smiled.

"Thanks." Brian grinned at him.

"No prob."

Darrin peeled the child off of Leah and dropped him on the floor. "And stay off!" he said. Leah gasped. 

"Darrin!" Jeremy frowned up at him and put his hands on his hips. Vegeta smirked.

"Somebody's getting a little crabby," he said cleverly. Jeremy glared at Darrin, and Darrin glared back at him. Aedan skidded into the living room and looked around. Brian appeared behind him.

"What'd he do now?" Aedan asked quickly. Jeremy stood up and put his hands on his hips again.

"He won't let me sit in Leah's lap!" he shouted, pointing an angry finger in Darrin's direction.

"He's stealing my girlfriend!" Darrin shouted back, pointing at Jeremy. Vegeta's smirk faded. Girlfriend?! This was new!! Sure the sitting in the lap thing was cute, but… Wait a second!!

"Oh, is that what this is about?" Aedan asked. He sighed with relief. "I though he'd actually done something."

"What do you mean?! He did something, alright!" Darrin yelled. "You didn't see the evil little grin he was giving me!!" Aedan sweat-dropped and laughed a bit nervously.

"Well you dropped him on the floor!!" Leah shouted.

"QUIET!!" Everyone stopped and stared at Vegeta. "First of all, this is ridiculous! Second of all…" He turned on Darrin and glared at him furiously. He thrust a finger in Leah's direction. "SINCE WHEN IS SHE YOUR GIRLFRIEND?!" Darrin sweat-dropped and started to stutter.

"Since- I- uh- erm- well- I- I meant- she's not- uh, technically- well- crap." Leah grabbed his hand and looked at Vegeta.

"Since today," she said. Leah smiled at Darrin. "Because I love him." Vegeta gaped at the two of them as his face started to turn red.

"Uh, Aedan?" Brian asked suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Run."

Brian, Aedan, and Jeremy scrambled out of the living room as Vegeta started to throw a major Saiyan temper-tantrum. Leah and Darrin weren't far behind. Many crashes and explosions were coming from the living room, along with Vegeta's indecipherable yells of fury. They didn't stop running until they reached the kitchen. Videl and the others had gone shopping for supplies, so the room was vacant.

"What are you trying to do, kill us?!" Brian exclaimed furiously. Leah smiled sweetly at him.

"Maybe some of you." Brian frowned and put his hands on his hips.

"I've never run so fast in my life!" Aedan exclaimed. "Jeez, that guy has issues!"

"Uh *_huh_*," Jeremy agreed.

"You say that's your grandfather?" Aedan asked.

"Yup, that's grandpa for you," Brian said with a sigh.

"Good ol' Vegeta…" Darrin muttered. Goku skidded to a halt in front of them and rushed into the kitchen.

"Gosh, what did you do!?" he exclaimed. "Vegeta yelled something about Leah and threw the couch at me! I mean, I haven't seen him this mad since Adrienne said she was-" Goku stopped and stared at them for a second. "*_Oh_.*" All five of them sweat-dropped. "I see." Goku cleared his throat. "I'll just…. Be in the other room." He quickly turned and left.

"And that's my other grandfather," Leah said. Aedan and Jeremy looked at each other.

"That's a bit scary," Jeremy whispered. Aedan nodded and tried not to laugh.

"Some party this has turned out to be," Brian said.

"I hope this doesn't happen every time," Aedan said.

"Oh, you haven't seen the half of it," Darrin said Aedan's eyes widened and looked as though he was about to faint.

"N-not even ha-half?!"

"Take a deep breath, Aedan," Jeremy told him. Aedan sweat-dropped.

"I dunno if I can take this…" Darrin, Leah, and Brian laughed.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet," Brian said.

"Anyone know why Vegeta is tearing up the living room?!" Chi-Chi asked, shouting to be heard above the racket he was making. Krillin shrugged.

"No idea!" he shouted.

"I've never seen him so angry!" Eighteen exclaimed.

"Yeah, you have," Goku said glumly.

"What?!" The whole group of them shouted together.

"Son Goku, did you have something to do with this!?" Chi-Chi demanded.

"No, I had nothing to do with this!" he yelled. "And I said, 'Yeah, you have'!" 

"When!?" Gohan asked.

"When Adrienne said she was going out with Goten!"

"What's that got to do with anything?!" Chi-Chi asked.

"Well, put it together! What is he yelling about?!" Everyone stopped and listened for a few minutes.

"Something about Leah!" Krillin yelled finally.

"Well…?!" The group was silent for a moment. Chi-Chi was the first to figure it out.

"…Oh dear."

Vegeta sat in the midst of the wreckage they used to call a living room, seething with rage and muttering to himself. Most of his anger had already been expelled, but Vegeta was still on edge. He sighed in exasperation. "Destruction just isn't what it used to be!" He continued to mutter under his breath while thinking of other ways to relieve his stress. No one would dare fight with him now, he reasoned. They were all chicken- or maybe just smart. "I can't believe it… I'm loosing another of my girls…! First Adrienne, then Bra, and now Leah! WHAT'S THE WORLD COMING TO THESE DAYS?!"

Vegeta stood up and began to think over blowing the couch into smithereens and watching the feathers from the pillows scatter across the room. Not satisfactory enough. No, what would really get his mind off of things would be blowing up the "competition." Vegeta smirked. Now there was an idea. "What am I thinking?!" he realized suddenly. "I can't blow up *_Darrin*!" Besides, even if he could bring himself to do it, it would make Leah terribly sad- and everyone else angry with him. Heck, he'd be no better than Aaron himself! Vegeta growled and sat back down, cross-legged. There had to be something he could do… Vegeta sighed and drummed his fingers on his knee. There had to be something…_

"Look at him," Chi-Chi whispered. "He's just sitting there. Poor thing must be in shock."

"Vegeta doesn't go into shock, Chi!" Goku told her.

"He's probably plotting something," Krillin said.

"What would he be plotting?" Eighteen asked. "He won't kill Darrin. Vegeta loves that boy more than he lets on."

"He's plotting something," Krillin repeated. "I just know it!"

"C'mon, Krillin, give him a break!" Gohan said. "We know Vegeta better than that!"

"Yeah, guess you're right," Krillin agreed reluctantly.

"Maybe someone should talk to him," Pan suggested.

"Don't look at me," Goku said. "You know he doesn't listen to me."

"Hmm…"

"Well, out of us that aren't doing something constructive," Eighteen said, "who does he like best?"

"…………" All of them quickly left the room in search of Vegeta's favorite person- Adrienne.

 "Ow! Trunks, let go of my hair!!"

"Then let go of mine!"

"Ok, ok, break it up!" Goten shouted. He rushed to break up the fight before someone was seriously injured. "Guys, come on! Grow up!" Goten grabbed their right wrists and pulled them apart. "Give it a rest!"

"Tell that to Cootie Boy over there!" Adrienne snapped.

"Shut up!" Trunks yelled.

"GUYS!" Goten took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. "Just… stop it. Please?" Trunks rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, jerking away from his best friend.

"Fine, but Adrienne has to apologize."

"Only if you will!"

"What should I apologize for? You jumped me!" Goten's eye started to twitch.

"Guys…!"

"Fine, fine! Sorry, Adrienne," Trunks said dully.

"I'm sorry too," Adrienne said the same tone.

"That's better," Goten said. "Now let's go find something.. constructive to do."

"Well I'm going to go help Mom," Trunks decided. He shot Adrienne a dark look. "And don't follow me."

"What makes you think I'd want to!?" Adrienne shot back.

"C'mon, guys, don't fight…!" Goten whined. "Jeez!" Trunks rolled his eyes and stormed out of the room.

"Well, if Trunks is helping Mom, then… I'll help… I dunno! But I'll find someone!" Adrienne declared. She stomped out in the opposite direction of Trunks. Goten sighed and rushed after her.

"Adrienne, wait for me!"

"Yo, Pan, you seen Mom?" Trunks asked. Pan shook her head.

"Not for a while."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she was hanging those streamers over there and gasped. Then she ran out of the room. She probably forgot something," Pan said. "Seemed pretty important, too, for her to leave like that."

"Hmmm…" Trunks frowned and thought for a second. "Which way did she go?"

"Off that way," she answered, pointing out of the room towards the labs.

"Thanks."

"No problem, Trunks!" Pan called, waving. Trunks smiled, waved back, and ran off down the hall.

"Adrienne, just the person we were looking for!" Krillin exclaimed happily. He, Eighteen, Goku, Chi-Chi, and Gohan were approaching her and Goten. Adrienne stopped and took a step backwards.

"Whatever it is, I'm not doing it," she said.

"No, no, you don't understand!" Chi-Chi exclaimed.

"It's Vegeta," Goku explained. "He's not… acting right." Goten coughed and looked up at the ceiling. Adrienne shot him a look- so did his parents. "You know what I meant, Goten!" Goku said sternly.

"Right, sorry," Goten said with a smile. Adrienne glared at him.

*_I'll deal with you later…*_ she told him. Goten sweat-dropped and laughed a little. "So what about Dad?" she asked.

"Well, he tore up the living room, for a start," Gohan said. Adrienne sweat-dropped.

"Tore up the living room?!"

"Told you he was crazy," Goten said. Adrienne shot him another glare and hit him in the back of the head. "Ow!" Chi-Chi also glared at her son. "Ok, ok, I get it! Sheesh!"

"So, anyway…" Goku started. "He demolished the living room- and threw a couch at me, too! I mean, all I asked was whether he liked blue or red better and-" Chi-Chi cleared her throat. Goku grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Right, sorry. So, like I was saying, after that, he just sat in the middle of the room muttering under his breath."

"And occasionally yelled something," Gohan added.

"Sounds like when you told him you were going out with me," Goten said with a grin.

"Exactly," everyone excepting him and Adrienne said. Goten sweat-dropped.

"Uh, I'm not sure I get it…"

"Me either," Adrienne agreed.

"Well, when he was… rearranging the living room," Eighteen explained, "we could occasionally catch the names of Leah and Darrin mixed in with his shouts."

"…Oh." Adrienne and Goten looked at each other, then back at the group. Goten suddenly frowned angrily and rolled up his sleeves.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go give Darrin a piece of my-"

"No, Goten, not yet," Adrienne said, trying to hold back a smile. She put her hand on her arm and stared him in the face. "We'll talk with them later." Goten nodded. "So you want me to talk to him, right?"

"We were hoping you would," Chi-Chi said. "He seems really… depressed." Adrienne nodded.

"Ok, I'll see what I can do." Goku grinned at her.

"Great!" he exclaimed. "Well, I have to go help Pan with the decorations. Guess I better get back." He waved at them. "See ya later!"

"Mom? You in here?" Trunks popped his head into another empty lab and sighed. "Nope." He pulled his head back out and walked off down the hall to the next one. "Mom?" Again, no sign of Bulma. "Well, where is she?" Trunks looked in one room after another and still couldn't find her. "Ok, this is getting annoying," Trunks muttered under his breath. "Wonder where she went… Hey, Mom!" he shouted suddenly. "Where are you!?" Silence- except for those soft footsteps behind him.

*_Wait a minute! FOOTSTEPS??_* Trunks whirled around and found himself face-to-face with a woman about six inches shorter than him . Her hair was lavender and reached her chin, and her green eyes sparkled as they gazed into his. She was wearing a pale blue floral spaghetti-strap dress that reached her knees. Trunks gasped and, for once, was totally speechless.

"C-c-c-c-Chloe?" he stuttered finally. Chloe smiled as happy tears filled her eyes. She nodded.

"Trunks."

"Are you… real?" Chloe laughed.

"Of course I'm real," she said. "I'll always be real. But real, as in alive..." She smiled at him. "It's surprising to me, too."

"But how are you-"

"Bulma told me about the Dragonballs," she explained. "Apparently, Shenron takes things generally." Trunks smiled.

"I love that dragon," he said. He stared at her for a moment. He was trying so hard to contain his happiness, but the tears began to fill his eyes anyway. "You look good," he said softly.

"Considering I look ten years younger than I really am?" Trunks laughed.

"You'll always be beautiful to me," he told her. He put his hand on her cheek. "You don't know how much I've missed you."

"And you don't know how much I've missed *_you*," Chloe said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I love you so much…" she whispered. Finally, Trunks couldn't hold out any longer, and his tears flowed freely._

"I love you, too," he said shakily. He pulled her closer and lifted her face so he could look her in the eyes. "More than you know." Chloe smiled.

"Then show me," she said softly. Trunks smiled and pulled her into a long, passionate kiss. Over in the shadows of an open doorway, Bulma smiled and wiped away a single, joyful tear.

"Dad?" Adrienne said quietly. She stepped over the items littering the floor and carefully picked her way to the center of the room where Vegeta was sitting quietly.

"What do you want?!" Vegeta snapped. He turned around to see who would dare disturb his train of thought. When he saw that it was Adrienne, his expression softened. "Oh. Hello, Adrienne."

"Are you ok?" she asked. She cleared a spot next to him and sat down.

"I'm perfectly fine!" he told her. "What makes you think I'm not?!" Adrienne stared at him, clearly not amused. Vegeta sighed. "Can't you leave me alone?"

"No," she said with a soft smile. "We're worried, and, well, confused. Anything you want to talk about?"

"Hmph." Vegeta crossed his arms. "No."

"Are you sure?" Vegeta stared at her with the same expression she had used earlier. "Don't give me that look!"

"Then don't give it to me." Adrienne glared at him.

"Stop trying to change the subject," she told him.

"You're the one that changed the subject." Adrienne narrowed her eyes.

"Stop being so difficult!" Vegeta smirked at her.

"I'm-"

"A difficult person, yeah, I know," she finished for him. Vegeta frowned. "Now would you please tell me what's going on?" Vegeta sighed.

"You're not going to let me go, are you?"

"Of course not."

"Then I don't have a choice?"

"No."

"…You're giving me the look again."

"Dad!"

"Alright, alright!" Vegeta shouted. "Great Kami, you're worse than your mother!"

"Which one?" Adrienne asked.

"Both," Vegeta said with a smile. Adrienne grinned at him.

"Best of both worlds," she said. Vegeta nodded.

"Now, let's see, what's bugging me right now…?" he asked thoughtfully. "Plenty of things. What made me angry?" Adrienne gave him a look. "Fine, fine, I'll get right to the point."

"Good idea."

"I tore up the living room because Leah and Darrin told me they were going out!" Vegeta clenched his fists. "I can't believe that little cretin would go behind my back and steal my granddaughter!"

"Like Goten 'stole' me from you?"

"YES! After all I've done for that little brat-" Adrienne snickered. "What!?"

"Nothing. Go on." Vegeta glared at her.

"You're not taking me seriously."

"No, I am!" Adrienne protested.

"Yeah, right." Vegeta stood up and looked down at her. "I'm getting out of here."

"But, Dad! I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it, honest!" she told him. "I was just remembering the time you and Goku had to baby-sit, and you couldn't find the 'little cretin'." Vegeta smirked.

"You mean when he was hanging from the chandelier?" Adrienne nodded and laughed.

"That was his favorite place to hide," she said. Vegeta sat back down and smiled.

"That, and under the couch. It was 'his home', remember?"

"Do I ever!" Adrienne said with a laugh. "I think we even have some pictures somewhere."

"Do we really?" Vegeta asked eagerly. He laughed. "We should find them," he said with a smirk. Adrienne grinned.

"I think I know where they are."

"Well, what are we waiting for, then!?" Vegeta hopped up and offered her a hand. "Let's go!" Adrienne smiled and took his hand.

"Why not?" Chi-Chi and Eighteen smiled at each other.

"Mission accomplished," Chi-Chi said.

"It's awfully quiet in the living room…" Leah commented.

"Yeah," Darrin said. "Wonder what he's doing…"

"I don't know if I wanna find out," Aedan admitted. Brian laughed.

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Darrin!" Goten called. He sounded a bit angry. Darrin sweat-dropped. "Could you come out here, please?"

"Uh oh, what'd I do now?" Leah shrugged.

"Dunno. But you'd better go." Darrin nodded.

"Why do I get the feeling this has something to do with you?" Leah smiled.

"Because everyone loves me." Brian whispered something to Aedan, causing him to laugh. "Shut up, Brian!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Brian shouted back. They stuck their tongues out at each other and scoffed.

"Darrin!"

"Right, better go." Darrin went to walk out of the kitchen. Brian started to hum a funeral march. Darrin shot him a look, making him grin back. "Don't make me hurt you." Darrin walked out of the kitchen.

"Don't make me hurt you," Brian repeated sassily. He rolled his eyes. "Please."

"We should probably find Jamie and Ri," Aedan suggested. "It'd give us something to do."

"Yeah," Brian agreed. Jeremy hopped off the counter and onto the floor.

"Let's go!" he cried eagerly. Aedan smiled and picked him up, flipping him upside down. Jeremy squealed with glee and started laughing.

"C'mon, squirt, let's get out of here," Aedan told him. Brian laughed and followed them. Leah stared as they left her alone in the kitchen.

"Well, now what am *_I* supposed to do!?" she whined. "Guys, wait for me!"_

"I can't wait to tell the kids! They'll be so happy to see you! Everyone will!" Trunks said happily. Chloe nodded.

"I'll be just as happy to see them," she said.

"Wait a minute."

"What?"

"You said my mom told you about the Dragonballs…"

"Yeah?"

"Where is she?" Bulma suddenly burst into laughter. They both whirled around to see her doubled-over as if in pain. "MOM!?" Bulma continued laughing. "Have you been following us this whole time?!" he demanded. Bulma couldn't voice her answer, so she nodded instead. "Mo-om!!"

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed.

"Bulma, breathe," Chloe told her gently. Bulma slowly started to calm down.

"I'm sorry, Trunks," she said again. "I couldn't help it."

"What do you mean, you couldn't help it!?"

"Trunks, calm down," Chloe said.

"Calm down!? She's been- I mean she just- OOH!" Trunks clenched his fists and stomped his foot. "You make me so angry!"

"I'm sorry, I really couldn't resist," Bulma explained. "I had to see it for myself."

"It??"

"You two back together!" Trunks blushed and glared at her.

"MOM!"

"What!?"

"You're impossible!" Trunks exclaimed. He stormed off down the hall.

"Oh, Trunks!" Bulma groaned.

"Trunks, wait!" Chloe called.

"I can't believe you would do that!" Trunks cried, turning around to face them. "Can't we have a little privacy?"

"Oh, Trunks, I said I'm sorry," Bulma said. "I won't do it again, promise." Trunks crossed his arms. Chloe sighed.

"Trunks, it's really no big deal."

"Maybe to you," he said crossly.

"Well, if we love each other, we shouldn't be ashamed of it!" Trunks blushed and didn't say anything. "You do love me, don't you?"

"Of course! You know that!"

"And I love you," she said. "See? No problem." She put her arm around his shoulders and hugged him. "Right?"

"Guess so…" She kissed his cheek.

"That's better." Bulma sighed.

"And I don't have my camera."

"MOM!"

"Oh, I just thought of something!" Chi-Chi exclaimed suddenly.

"What's that?" Eighteen asked.

"Well, I was thinking… Goten and Adrienne are both back-" Eighteen put her hands over her ears. "Eighteen!"

"I don't want to hear it, Chi-Chi!" she exclaimed.

"Fine! I'll just go find them without you!"

"Go right ahead." Chi-Chi crossed her arms.

"Fine, I will!" She stomped off to find her son and daughter-in-law. Eighteen shook her head.

"I should probably find them first…" She looked around, then ran off in the opposite direction.

"So how's your arm feeling?" Rienna asked. Jamie grinned. 

"Much better," he answered.

"I'm just glad you're alive," Krystal said. Jamie smiled.

"So am I. I'm glad we're all alive." Alex nodded.

"Thank Kami for those Dragonballs," she said. "Which reminds me… You guys haven't seen Brian running around, have you?" she asked.

"No, sorry," Krystal said, shaking her head.

"Last I saw, he was talking to Aedan," Jamie said.

"Hey, I haven't seen him for a while, either," Rienna said thoughtfully.

"Everyone disappeared after that racket in the living room," Alex said.

"Come to think of it, you're right. I haven't seen Leah or Darrin or anyone!" Krystal exclaimed.

"Maybe we should go looking for them?" Rienna suggested.

"Yeah…" Jamie agreed. "Why not?"

"Let's go, then!" Alex cheered.

"Adrienne, dear, I was just looking for you!" Adrienne groaned inwardly. What could they possibly want her to do now!? Adrienne and Vegeta turned around. Adrienne was surprised- it was only Chi-Chi. "Hello, Vegeta!" Vegeta scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Hi, Chi-Chi," Adrienne said kindly. "What do you need?"

"Well," Chi-Chi said, glancing at Vegeta. "I was hoping I could talk to you… alone."

"Oh…" Adrienne turned to her father. "You go ahead, I'll catch up with you later." Vegeta nodded and walked off down the hall. "So what is it?'

"Well…"

"…and another thing-" Goten stopped short and stared at the two fingers in the doorway. Darrin winced and waited for him to finish. When he didn't say anything, Darrin followed his gaze and gasped.

"It can't be…"

"Chloe!?" the two of them exclaimed at the same time. Chloe smiled.

"Hi, guys," she said cheerfully. "I'm back."

Bulma waltzed into the dining room, a huge smile on her face. She hummed to herself and picked up the streamers she had dropped earlier, pinning them on the wall as she made her way around the room. It took all her strength to keep from running around the house shouting for joy at the top of her lungs.

"What's with her?" Pan whispered to her grandfather. Goku shrugged.

"I dunno…" He put his bag of balloons on the floor and walked over to her. "Hey, Bulma."

"Oh, hello, Goku!" Bulma said cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, if you don't mind me asking…" She looked at him curiously. "Pan and I… well, we were wondering… why you're so happy all of a sudden." Bulma laughed.

"Oh, is that all?" she asked. "Well that's easy. Why don't you go find Trunks and ask him? I'm sure he'd love to tell you." Goku frowned with confusion as Bulma went back to putting up streamers. He looked at Pan, who shrugged with the same confused look. Without a word, they walked out of the room to find him.

"Did anyone besides me just hear my mom scream in frustration?" Jamie asked suddenly. Rienna smiled.

"Good. I thought I was going crazy," she said.

"Yeah, me too," Alex said. Krystal nodded.

"Wonder what's up," she said. Jamie shrugged.

"I dunno. Knowing my mom, it could be anything."

"Yeah…"

"No, Chi-Chi!" Adrienne shouted. She was walking as fast as she could away from the pestering old woman, but Chi-Chi was just as fast. "I'm not going to listen to you and your crazy grandkids talk!"

"Oh, but Adrienne," Chi-Chi protested. "Three grandkids isn't enough!"

"THEN GO ASK GOHAN!!" Adrienne screamed. Chi-Chi frowned.

"You think I didn't?!" Adrienne stopped and turned around to stare at her.

"…You're crazy."

"Thank you," Chi-Chi said politely. "Now-"

"NO!"

"Oh, but Adrienne!" Chi-Chi said sadly. She grabbed her daughter-in-law's arm and stared at her tearfully. "You said yourself I was crazy! You wouldn't deny a crazy old woman her last wishes, would you?"

"…" Adrienne stared at her for a moment. "Do the words 'Vegeta's child' mean anything to you?" she asked finally.

"Hm… good point." Just then, Jamie and the girls rounded the corner.

"Oh, hey, Mom!" Jamie said. "We were just looking for you!"

"Now what!?" Adrienne exclaimed angrily.

"…Nothing… we were just looking for you…" Jamie said quietly.

"…Oh…" Adrienne shook her head. "Sorry, Jamie."

"That's ok."

"Adrienne," Alex piped up, "you haven't seen Brian around, have you?"

"Sorry, Alex, haven't seen him." She grinned. "I can't believe you'd lose your boyfriend that easily." Alex laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before," she said good-naturedly. "Thanks anyway."

"So I guess you haven't seen my Dad or Aedan either," Rienna said. Adrienne shook her head.

"Last time I saw your father was when I punched him in the face a while ago." The four teens sweat-dropped.

"You what?" Adrienne also sweat-dropped.

"Well, erm, yes… Anyway! That's not important!" she declared. "No, I haven't seen any of them recently."

"Ok, thanks, Mrs. Son!" Krystal said.

"Call me Adrienne, Krys," Adrienne said. Krystal blushed.

"Right, sorry. Thanks, Adrienne." Adrienne nodded.

"No problem."

"Well, we're gonna go look for them, I guess," Jamie said. "You wanna come?"

"No, I think I'm going to look for your dad," Adrienne said. "He disappeared a minute ago."

"Oh, alright. See ya later!" The four of them walked back down the hall.

"Oh, goodie! We're going to look for Goten!" Chi-Chi cried happily. "I bet I can change *_his_* mind!" Adrienne sweat-dropped.

"…On second thought, I think I will go with the kids!" she said suddenly. She ran off down the hall before anyone could stop her. "Bye, Chi-Chi!" she said cheerfully, waving over her shoulder as she left.

"Oh, but wait!" Chi-Chi called. Adrienne ignored her and kept going. Chi-Chi sighed. "I guess I'll have to find Goten on my own, then…"

"Goten!" Eighteen called. "Goten, where are you?"

"Hiya, Eighteen," Leah said cheerfully. "Lookin' for Dad?" Eighteen nodded.

"Yes," she said. "I need to wa- talk to him." Eighteen smiled. "Haven't seen him, have you?"

"I think he and Darrin went to the living room," Brian said. Eighteen quirked an eyebrow at them.

"The *_other_* living room," Aedan said. Eighteen nodded.

"Right."

"Actually, we're heading that way," Leah said. "Mind if we tag along?" Eighteen smiled.

"No, not really."

"Yay!" Jeremy cheered. He grinned up at Eighteen. She smiled back at him. Aedan laughed. "What?!" His older brother shook his head.

"Nothin'."

"Yeah, right!"

"C'mon," Eighteen said. She offered him her hand and smiled. "Just ignore him, Jeremy." Jeremy grinned. He took her hand and spit his tongue out at Aedan, who shook his head in response. The two of them walked off down the hall. Brian and Leah cocked their heads at them.

"He just has this obsession with attention," Aedan explained. They both nodded.

"Oh."

"Well, better follow her," Brian said.

"Yeah," Leah said. "Hey, Eighteen, wait for us!"

"Now where did they go?" Adrienne asked herself.

"Hey, Mom!" Leah said. "I thought you were with Grandma?" Adrienne sweat-dropped.

"Well, you see, I was, but, uh…" Eighteen put her hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, you don't have to say another word." Adrienne laughed a little nervously and cleared her throat.

"Um, yes."

"So what are you doing now?" Brian asked.

"I dunno. What are you up to?"

"We're on our way to warn Goten," Eighteen explained. When the children gave her odd looks, she cleared her throat. "I mean to talk to him." Adrienne nodded.

"Right."

"Ah, Goten, there you are!" Adrienne's and Eighteen's eyes went wide.

"Shoot!" Adrienne exclaimed.

"We're too late!" Eighteen moaned.

"Too late?" Aedan asked.

"For what?" Jeremy asked.

"There's still a chance! We can still save him!" Eighteen said. Adrienne nodded.

"Let's go!" The two of them ran off down the hall. "Hey, Chi-Chi! You're- uh… wanted in the kitchen!" The kids sweat-dropped.

"…I have no idea what's going on," Leah said finally.

"Me either," Brian admitted.

"Frankly, I'm not sure I want to find out," Aedan said. Jeremy nodded.

"Hiya, guys!" Jamie said from behind them. The four of them turned around to meet Jamie, Rienna, Krystal, and Alex.

"Hi, Jamie!" Brian said cheerfully. Alex crossed her arms.

"Oh, sure, greet the best friend, neglect the girlfriend." Brian sweat-dropped.

"A-Alex, I-I didn't mean it like that!" Alex laughed.

"I know, you idiot. I'm not stupid." Brian sweat-dropped again and laughed.

"Yeah, I guess not."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"N-nothing!" The rest of the teens laughed.

"C'mon, no fighting," Krystal said. "This is supposed to be a happy occasion, remember?"

"Yeah, guys," Rienna said. "Half of us were dead an hour ago. We should be thankful they still aren't!"

"You're right, Ri," Alex said. "Sorry." Brian smiled.

"Yeah, me too." 

"Maybe we should see what they're up to…" Leah suggested suddenly, with a wary glance at the living room doorway. 

"Yeah… Something about 'saving' Uncle Goten sounds… intriguing," Brian said.

"What? What about my dad?" Jamie asked.

"…It's a long story," Leah, Brian and Aedan chorused.

"It's not *_that_* long," Jeremy said. "Miss Adrienne and Miss Eighteen were acting kinda funny, though…" He pointed to the living room. "They ran off when Miss Chi-Chi found Mr. Goten!" Jamie and his group sweat-dropped.

"What??" Rienna asked. "That's really… confusing…"

"Our thoughts exactly," Aedan said. "That's why we're gonna go check it out."

"Awfully quiet in there, though…" Brian commented.

"Oh, shut up, you wimp!" Alex said. "C'mon, let's go!" She led everyone through the doorway and stopped about halfway into the room.

"What is it, Alex?" Brian asked. He followed her gaze past Adrienne, Eighteen, Goten, and Darrin and all the way to the other side of the room.

"It… can't be…" Jamie whispered.

"Mom…?!" Brian asked.

"I can't believe it…" Leah said. Chloe smiled at them all.

"I know it's a bit of a shock," she said. "It's new to me, too."

"But… Mom!" Brian ran to her and hugged her. "I can't believe you're alive! After all this time, you're back!"

"I know, Brian, I know," she said softly.

"I just can't believe it…!" he said shakily. "You don't know how much I missed you!"

"I have an idea," she said with a smile. Brian stood back and looked at her.

"You look just like how I remember…" Chloe smiled.

"I hope that's a good thing." By now, the rest of the group had crowded around. Chloe smiled at them all. "It's good to see you, all of you." Her eyes met with her daughter's. "Especially you, Ri."

"Mom…" she said softly.

"Just look how much you've grown! You're as tall as I am!" Rienna smiled. "You know, I've been watching you." Rienna's eyes widened a little.

"You… have?" Chloe nodded.

"And I'm happy to say that I'm proud of you," she said. "You've handled yourself well, even without me or your father there." Rienna blushed a little bit at this. "And you know what else?"

"What?" Chloe glanced at Aedan.

"You chose your friends wisely, too." Aedan blushed slightly, and Rienna smiled.

"Thanks, Mom." Rienna embraced her, suddenly feeling compelled to do so by some unknown force. "I love you so much."

"I love you more," Chloe answered.

"But I don't get it," Chi-chi said suddenly.

"Get what, Chi-Chi?"

"How you're… alive." Chloe smiled.

"Shenron takes things very generally," Trunks said with a grin.

"'Everyone Aaron's killed' apparently spans quite a bit of time," Goten said.

"Aren't we glad it does?" Adrienne said with a smile. She hugged her sister-in-law. "Welcome back, Chloe."

"Thanks."

"Well, what are we standing around for?" Chi-Chi said suddenly. "Now we *_really_* have a reason to celebrate!"

"Yeah!" Leah agreed. "We have to tell the others!"

"C'mon, guys!" Jamie cheered. The twins ran off down the hall, followed by Krystal and the others.

"Hey, Leah, wait for me!" Darrin called.

"Oh no, you don't!" Goten said. "I'm not through with you yet!" Darrin groaned.

"Oh, Goten, let him go!" Adrienne said. "It's not like he's done anything wrong!" 

"Nothing wrong my-"

"Goten." Goten muttered something under his breath and waved Darrin away. The grateful young Saiyan smiled appreciatively at her and ran off to catch them.

"Well, I'm not the only one with a would-be son-in-law running around," Trunks said with a grin.

"S-s-son-in-law!?" Goten exclaimed. The thought hit him like a speeding Capsule-copter and he nearly fainted on the spot.

"Easy, there, Goten," Adrienne said warily. Chi-Chi rubbed her hands together suspiciously.

"Son-in-law…" she said to herself. "This is perfect!" She grinned. "I'll be a great-grandmother any day now!" Adrienne and Goten groaned.

"Chi-Chi/Mom!"

"Wait a minute, Trunks," Chloe said suddenly. "What do you mean? We have a 'would-be son-in-law' running around?" Trunks sweat-dropped.

"Oh, I know who you're talking about, now!" Adrienne said suddenly. She grinned at Trunks, who spit his tongue out at her in response.

"Oh yeah! That Aedan boy, right?" Eighteen asked. Trunks' face went pale and he tried to signal Eighteen to shut up, but I guess she didn't get it. Goten tried to hold back a snicker. "The one with a pierced ear and that adorable little boy for a brother?"

"Who??" Chloe asked. "You mean that boy that was just in here?!" She set a piercing glare on Trunks. He gulped and laughed.

"Erm… it's a long story…? Heheh…" *_Oh boy…*_

"Grandpa!" Goku looked up to find that the grandkids were running towards him. Darrin was following, and they all appeared to be extremely happy about something.

"Leah, Jamie! Boy, what's got you all worked up?" Goku asked.

"There's someone we want you to meet!" Leah said excitedly.

"Again!" Jamie added, taking Goku's hand. Together, he pulled his grandfather into the other living room and ran off to find some more people to tell.

"EVERYONE TO THE LIVING ROOM NOW!" Brian yelled as he ran by the kitchen where Videl, Jessica, Bridgett, and Marron were cooking. Ruben was 'overseeing' the project (which consisted mainly of sneaking a taste every time one of them turned their back) and was hanging out behind his wife, peering over her shoulder to see what she was up to. All of them looked up as Brian appeared and disappeared through the doorframe.

"What?" Videl asked.

"THE *_OTHER_* LIVING ROOM!" Aedan yelled, running by after Brian. Rienna popped her head in the doorway.

"Hi guys!"

"Hi, Rienna," Jessica said cheerfully. "What's this all about?"

"We're gathering everyone in the living room for a meeting!" she told them. Aedan jogged back into view.

"And we mean that literally," he added with a grin.

"Huh?"

"Never mind," Rienna said, shaking her head. "Just put that stuff on hold and come on for a minute." Marron shrugged.

"These need to cook more anyway," she said, gesturing to a pot on the stove. She waved to the rest of them. "C'mon, let's go see what's up."

"Heya, Grandpa!" Vegeta slammed the lid back on the shoebox he was looking through and looked up at Brian, Aedan, and Rienna.

"What do you want?" he asked sharply.

"We want you to meet someone," Rienna explained.

"If it's that fool boy's family," Vegeta said, glaring at Aedan, "then I'm not interested." Rienna frowned and put her hands on her hips.

"Grandpa!" Aedan glared at Vegeta and clenched his fists. Vegeta smirked at him.

"You want to fight me, shrimp?"

"Shrimp!?" Aedan narrowed his eyes and started to roll up one of his sleeves. "Maybe I do!"

"No, you don't," Rienna said, giving them both a stern look. She put her hand on Aedan's arm, and that seemed to calm him a bit.

"Tch," Vegeta said, crossing his arms. "Fine. I would have driven him into the ground anyway."

"Grandpa!!" 

"Ok, that's it, you old geezer-"

"Old geezer!?" Vegeta's eyes flashed red. "Do you know who you're dealing with?!"

"HEY!" Rienna finally shouted. "Enough is enough! I can't take it anymore!" She turned to Vegeta. "Fine! If you don't want to come meet Mom, then FINE! C'mon, Aedan, let's find my grandma!" She turned on her heel and stormed off down the hallway. Vegeta blinked after her.

"'Meet Mom'?" he repeated. "What in Kami's name is she talking about?! Chloe's dead!"

"Not anymore," Brian said. Vegeta's face lit up with anticipation and realization. "But if you don't want to come…" Suddenly, a great gust of wind blew his hair in his face, and when he turned around, Vegeta was gone. Brian smiled. "Cool."

Vegeta couldn't hold back his joy as he flew down the halls in a blur. The brats would *_not_* joke around with something of this much importance and seriousness. He flew past everyone in the hallways, flew past the kitchen, past the dining room, past all of them, beaming with happiness. He didn't care if anyone saw him. It didn't matter- Chloe was back! 

After what seemed like forever (though he'd only been flying for a  few seconds), Vegeta reached the alternate living room. He touched down outside the doorway without a sound and tried to calm himself. Then he shrugged. He'd probably do something drastic inside anyway.

Vegeta walked into the living room casually.

"Oh, hi, Dad!" Trunks said, greeting his father. "Guess what!"

"Chloe's back," Vegeta said dully. He looked at Trunks with a very jaded expression. Trunks blinked.

"You're not excited?" Vegeta laughed and looked past his son to his daughter-in-law.

"Excited?" he asked. "Excited?? Of course I'm not excited!" Vegeta said with a sneer. Trunks glared at him intensely and was about to go on a furious tirade when Vegeta smiled. Genuinely smiled. "I'm not excited," he repeated. "I'm absolutely *_thrilled_*!" The outburst died on his lips. Before even Vegeta knew what was going on, he had wrapped his arms around Chloe's shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug. "You don't know how happy I am to see you!" Chloe blinked a few times.

"I'm happy to see you, too, Vegeta," she said slowly. Trunks stared at the two of them in astonishment.

"I prayed to Dende every day that you'd come back!" Vegeta continued, not seeming to notice (or care about) the confused look on his son's face. He stepped back and instead smiled at Chloe. "Trunks missed you so much! In all honesty, I thought he'd go mad!"

"HEY!" Trunks exclaimed. "Just what do you mean by-"

"Not to mention the rest of the family. We were devastated!" Chloe smiled.

"Well, good to know I'm loved," she said.

"LOVED!?" Vegeta exclaimed. "Even *_I* missed you!" With that, Vegeta glanced around the room. "Which, by the way…" He suddenly turned back into his old self and glared at Trunks. "If either of you tell *__anyone* about this, you're *_dead_*." Chloe laughed._

"Don't worry, Vegeta, you're secret's safe with me. Right, Trunks?"

"Yeah, you maybe," he answered with a grin.

"Trunks…!"

"Joking, joking! Jeez!" Vegeta muttered something under his breath about "ungrateful children" and glared at him.

"Vegeta?"

"Hm?" Vegeta turned to look at her. Chloe had her face tilted down and didn't look him in the face.

"…Thanks," she said finally. Her voice was shaky, liked she was crying. Vegeta smiled and put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's ok, Chloe," he said softly. "And you're welcome." He lifted her chin with his finger and she stared up at him. "Now I don't want you to shed any more tears. Tears are for sad times, not welcome home parties." Chloe smiled and nodded. She suddenly threw her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Vegeta," she said softly. She stood back and smiled at him. "You have a good heart, even if you don't show it half the time." Vegeta smirked.

"Yeah, maybe so," he said. "But remember," he said, with an added look of authority to Trunks, "DEAD." Chloe laughed and nodded.

"Gotcha."

HA! DONE! FINALLY DONE!!! *hops around like mad* Whoo hoo!! I'm gonna have another chapter (like an Epilogue type thing) that you guys can read later, if you want to continue the story. Co-written by Autumn Nicole, too. So it'll be good. At least, I hope so. ...Anyway, thanks to my loyal reviewers, Princess of all Vegetables (and Sarah and Jared ^^;) and Autumn Nicole! Couldn't do it without you guys! ^___^


	11. The Final Hurdle

Syndrome  
  
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own DBZ (Yet… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, Eggo waffles, etc.). Think about it: If I owned this stuff, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
. : : Chapter 11 : The Final Hurdle : : .  
  
Trunks knelt down and unzipped the accursed backpack, revealing six of the seven precious Dragonballs. Goten watched, the last ball in his hand, as Trunks gently rolled them out of the bag. Trunks looked up at him and nodded. Goten crouched down next to Trunks and placed the three-star ball next to the others.  
  
"You ready to do this?" Trunks asked. Goten nodded.  
  
"Yeah." They both stood up, and stared up into the rain.  
  
"HEY, SHENRON!!"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Back at Capsule Corp., everyone was pacing anxiously about the building.  
  
"I dunno if he's going to pull through this time," Krillin said glumly.  
  
"Hush, Krillin!" Eighteen hissed. She glanced at Bra, who was staring intently out the window.  
  
"Oh, sorry…" Marron walked over to her and put her hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Are you ok?" Bra nodded without taking her eyes off the outside world.  
  
"I'm fine…" she said softly.  
  
"You sure?" Bra nodded again.   
  
"Yeah, thanks."  
  
"Alright…" Marron looked at her mother, shrugged sympathetically, and walked away. Bra continued to stare out the window for any sign of her brother. She forced herself to keep hoping that they'd return on time. *Daddy's getting so weak…* A silent tear slid down her cheek.  
  
"Trunks… hurry back…"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Rienna was sitting in the window seat, her knees pulled up to her chest. She was fingering the two rings that hung around her neck. She dropped Aedan's class ring and held her mother's in the light.  
  
*Dad… you said you'd never leave me, but I left you… Now I don't know where I fit in.* Rienna sighed. *I really shouldn't be here. I don't belong here…* Why it hadn't dawned on her before, she didn't know. But this wasn't her home, as much as she and the others wanted it to be.  
  
She picked up Aedan's ring and stared at the bright red stone in the center. Aedan liked red… She smiled. As she stared into the stone, Aedan's face appeared and started to smile back at her. Gosh, she missed him already.  
  
"Hey, Ri." Rienna looked up.  
  
"Huh? Oh, hey, Jamie."  
  
"Hi. Mind if I sit next to you?" Rienna smiled and shook her head. She swung her legs over the side to make room for her cousin.  
  
"No. Go ahead." Jamie smiled.  
  
"Thanks." He hopped up next to her and looked out the window. "Whatcha doing?"  
  
"Thinking…"  
  
"Oh…" He looked at her quizzically. "Just thinking?"  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
"What about?" Rienna hesitated. "Sorry, didn't mean to pry." She shook her head.  
  
"No, that's ok…" She smiled weakly and held up Aedan's ring.  
  
"*Oh*…"  
  
"Yeah…" Jamie smiled at her.  
  
"He loves you too, ya know." Rienna blushed and stared at her cousin in astonishment.  
  
"Wait- how- what?" Jamie laughed.  
  
"It *is* rather obvious." Rienna blushed some more and looked down at her feet.  
  
"Is it *that* obvious?" Jamie nodded.  
  
"Yep." Rienna groaned. Jamie laughed again.  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it. I won't give you a hard time." He hopped down form his perch beside her and grinned. "And in case they *haven't* noticed, which is very unlikely-" Rienna groaned again. "-I won't give away your secret." She smiled.  
  
"Thanks, Jamie."  
  
"No prob." She went back to staring at the ring in her hand. "I know you miss him, but he'll be back." Rienna's face brightened.  
  
"Yeah, I know…" She smiled. "Thanks again." Jamie shrugged.  
  
"It's the least I can do." He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked off. Rienna watched as he disappeared up the stairs. She grinned. She wasn't going to have any trouble at all.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"How are we going to tell when they summon Shenron?" Pan asked her father. "It's already a complete thunderstorm out there. How will we tell the difference?"  
  
"We will, Pan, trust me. There'll be a difference."  
  
"If you say so…" Bra stood back and pointed out the window.  
  
"*That's* different!" The clouds had just turned a shade of deep purple, so dark it almost looked black. The lightning was a shade of bright blue, now, as well.  
  
"…" Gohan looked at Pan with an "I told you so" look on his face. She crossed her arms.  
  
"Oh, shut up." Gohan grinned back at her. Krillin rushed into the room, his arms flailing.  
  
"Guys, guys, have you seen the sky?! They summoned Shenron!"  
  
"…" The group looked at each other and back at Krillin, completely emotionless.  
  
"…Come on, you guys should be happy!! Vegeta's gonna pull through, and Leah's coming back!" This thought seemed to cheer them all up. They started whooping and hollering at the top of their lungs. Bra smiled and stared at the brilliant blue lightning.  
  
"You did it, Trunks…!"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Shenron the Eternal Dragon loomed above them, glowing with a radiant white light. The clouds had changed from black to purple, and the lightning was now blue. "Wow…" Goten said. "I forgot how big he is…"  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
"YOU HAVE SUMMONED ME," Shenron boomed. Both of them snapped into reality as his voice thundered in their ears. "I WILL GRANT YOU TWO WISHES. WHAT IS YOUR FIRST WISH?"  
  
Goten cleared his throat. "Our first wish, Shenron, is that those infected with the virus would be healed!"   
  
"YOU WISH IS MY COMMAND." Shenron's eyes flashed red for a moment then went back to normal. Both friends looked at each other and smiled.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Vegeta awoke with a start. Was he dreaming, or had his energy returned to him in that last instant? Vegeta opened his eyes and lifted his head. Bulma was holding his hand when her head down on the bed. Goku and the others had left them alone quite some time ago and Bulma had cried herself to sleep. He smiled. It hadn't been a dream.  
  
Vegeta stroked her blue hair lovingly. "Bulma," he whispered softly. "Wake up." Bulma's eyes flickered open, and she looked up at him. He stared back into her eyes and smiled. "Hi."  
  
"Vegeta!" Bulma cried. She threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight. "They did it!" she shouted happily. "They got the Dragonballs! You're alive!" Vegeta snickered.  
  
"Of course I'm alive, woman!" he said. "You don't think a dumb *disease* would take care of the Saiyan Prince, did you?" Bulma laughed.  
  
"You're so stupid!" she said. "How dare you scare me like that!?"  
  
"I'm sorry," he said with a small smile. "I didn't mean to."  
  
"Well don't do it again!!" Vegeta pulled her closer.  
  
"I won't. I promise."  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"YOUR FIRST WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED," Shenron said. "WHAT IS YOUR SECOND WISH?" Trunks stepped forward.  
  
"Shenron, we want everyone that Aaron's killed to be brought back to life."  
  
"YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND." Again, Shenron's eyes flashed red. "YOUR SECOND AND FINAL WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED." Trunks and Goten smiled. Their appreciation for that Dragon was steadily increasing.  
  
"Thanks, Shenron!" Goten called. "You're the best!" Shenron didn't answer. Instead, his body was engulfed in blinding light, and the Dragonballs shot off into separate corners of the world. Trunks sighed and smiled.  
  
"It's finally over."  
  
"Yeah." They high-fived each other and grinned.  
  
"Alright!!"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Leah's eyes popped open. Was she alive? She sat up, placing her hand in something sticky. She jumped, looked down at her hand, and gasped. "What?!" There it was- blood. A whole pool of it, sitting underneath her. She looked down at her clothes. They were soaked with blood, her blood. "I can't be alive!"  
  
Leah stood up and pinched herself. "Nope, I'm alive and kicking, all right." She looked around and spotted the broken window. The others must have left to gather the Dragonballs, she decided. She was about to go look for Brian, who they had undoubtedly left behind as well, when she felt this sense of impending danger in her heart. "Darrin!" She disappeared without a second thought.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Brian groaned and opened his eyes. "Am I… alive?" He pushed himself up into a sitting position with a grunt and sat back to look around. "I could have sworn…" He shook his head. "This is too weird… I was dead a second ago…" Brian closed his eyes. Everyone seemed to be at home, except for Goten and his father, who were on their way there. He opened his eyes, shook his head again, and stood up. "Then home it is."  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Aedan sat up and looked around, a puzzled look on his face. "Whoa… do I have one heck of a headache… But… why am I alive? I thought I was dead! Not that I want to be dead…" Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. "Wait, if *I'm* alive… then…" Aedan stood up and ran off down the hall. "DAD!"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Darrin!" Darrin closed his eyes and sighed.  
  
"Great, now I'm even hearing her voice inside my head…"  
  
"Darrin, stop! Please!" Suddenly, it hit him.  
  
"Leah?" He turned around only to be tackled and thrown to the roof. Leah had wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight.  
  
"Darrin, don't! Please, don't!" she sobbed.  
  
"Leah! I- I thought you were-"  
  
"They brought me back! I'm alive!" She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "And I want you to be, too!" Suddenly, she glared up at him. "Why would you go and do a stupid thing like this?! You scared me half to death!" His eyes softened and he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Oh, Leah, I'm sorry," he said softly. "I… I was doing it for you… I thought-"  
  
"Well, forget what you thought! I'm alive!" She squeezed him tighter. "Don't you *ever* do something like this again!" He held her close and shook his head.  
  
"I hope I'll never have to," he said to himself.  
  
"What?" Darrin held her back so he could look her in the face.  
  
"Leah… I… I wanted to tell you…" He swallowed his pride and his anxiousness and stared deep into her eyes. "…I love you. When he… when he killed you, I- I couldn't take it. I went crazy. Every bone in my body wanted to tear him to pieces. I lost control… Then Vegeta got him, and I couldn't handle it. I came up here, and..." He shook his head. "The one thing I lived for had been taken away from me. What was I going to do?" Darrin's own eyes filled with tears, and he stared into her eyes again. "Leah, I'm so sorry. I guess I wasn't thinking."  
  
"Darrin, I… I don't know what to say…" She threw her arms around his neck again. "Except that… I love you, too." Darrin smiled and closed his arms around her waist.  
  
"Don't you ever leave me again," he whispered in her ear. She shook her head.  
  
"Never." Leah looked up at him and smiled and leaned closer to him- so close their noses were almost touching. "I love you too much." Darrin's eyes filled with tears.  
  
"I love you more," he said. "Much more." He put his hand on her cheek and pulled her into a kiss.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"THEY'RE HOME!" Krillin screamed at the top of his lungs. Nearly everyone rushed to the closest window to see for themselves. Rienna smiled when she saw the two advancing figures.  
  
"Dad!"  
  
"Mom, Dad's back!" Jamie exclaimed. The two of them rushed out the door and took off to meet them. Adrienne was quick to follow, and , of course, got to them first.  
  
"Goten!" she cried happily. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "You did it!"  
  
"Yeah, we did, didn't we, Trunks?" Goten said with a smile.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Dad!" Something large rammed Trunks, sending him backwards a few feet.  
  
"Rienna?!"  
  
"Dad, I'm so glad to see you!" she exclaimed. "Grandpa's doing great! It's like he was never hurt in the first place!" Trunks smiled.  
  
"Of course," he said. "You didn't doubt us, did you?" She shook her head and grinned.  
  
"Not for a second!"  
  
"Hi, Dad!" Jamie said cheerfully. "You're back!"  
  
"Yep, we're back!" Goten said. He put his arm around Jamie's shoulders and grinned. "Boy, have we got a story for you!"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You'll never guess where the last Dragonball was!" Trunks cleared his throat rather loudly.  
  
"Maybe we should go in and say hi to the others."  
  
"Oh, right… then we can tell everybody!" Goten gave Trunks a painfully innocent smile. Trunks, instead, shot him a dirty look. Goten didn't seem to mind, and grinned. "What?" he asked innocently.  
  
"You know 'what'…" Trunks muttered.  
  
"Well, come on, everyone's waiting," Adrienne said. "No use standing out here in the rain, anyway."  
  
"Yeah, I'm soaked!" Jamie exclaimed. "Let's get out of here!" He waved for them to follow and took off towards the house.  
  
"I dunno, Jamie, I like it," Rienna said, following him.  
  
"You like your clothes sticking to you like that?" Rienna shrugged.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You're crazy."  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too."  
  
"Am not!" Their conversation faded out of earshot as they got farther away.  
  
"Well, come on," Adrienne told them.  
  
"Coming!" Trunks told her. She nodded and took off after the kids. Before he could follow, Trunks grabbed the back of Goten's drenched shirt and pulled him back. "You do know that if you say one word, I won't hesitate to kill you." Goten stuck his tongue out at him.  
  
"In front of everyone, too. Can I get it on tape?" Trunks growled at him, causing Goten to laugh and fly off.  
  
"Goten, get back here!"  
  
"You'll have to catch me before you can kill me!" Goten shouted in a singsong tone.  
  
"Shouldn't take me long, then!"  
  
"HEY!"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Goodness, Trunks, you're soaked!" Bulma exclaimed when they walked in the door. "I'll go get some towels!"  
  
"Thanks, Mom," Trunks said. He sneezed. "Jeez, wasn't this cool outside…"  
  
"Yeah," Goten agreed. Trunks sneezed again. "Hey, I hope you're not coming down with something." Trunks shook his head.  
  
"Nah. Not me. I don't get sick." Bulma reappeared with the towels and passed them out among them. They all wrapped themselves up and were ushered into the living room. The rest of them followed.  
  
"Might need another towel, Mom," Trunks said. His was already soaked through.  
  
"Kami knows…!" Bulma rushed off and came back with a whole stack of towels. "And there's more if we need them."  
  
"Where's Dad?" Trunks asked.  
  
"Went off to find Brian and Leah," Goku explained. Bulma sighed.  
  
"I couldn't stop him."  
  
"At least he's feeling better," Goten said. They all nodded.  
  
"Yeah," Jamie said. The door suddenly opened, and two dripping-wet Saiyans walked into the room.  
  
"LEAH!" The group on the couch jumped to their feet in surprise.  
  
"Leah!" Jamie cried. He dropped his towel and rushed to his older sister, throwing his arms around her. "Great Kami! I missed you!" She smiled and hugged him back.  
  
"I missed you, too, Jamie," she said.  
  
"Leah, I can't believe it!" Adrienne exclaimed. She and Goten hugged her as well. "Thank Dende, you're back!"  
  
"We missed you," Goten said. "You really scared us."  
  
"I know, and I'm sorry," Leah said. Adrienne shook her head.  
  
"It's not your fault." She smiled at both of them. "Come on into the living room, we've got towels."  
  
"Yeah, and if we run out, you two can share," Trunks said with a grin. Leah and Darrin both looked at each other and blushed, taking separate towels from Bulma. Goten didn't appreciate the joke. He glared at his best friend and smacked him in the back of the head while no one was looking. "Ow!" Trunks rubbed his sore head and muttered something under his breath.  
  
"I hope Vegeta realizes you're here," Bulma said thoughtfully.  
  
"Hey, where is Grandpa?" Leah asked.  
  
"He went looking for you and Brian." Leah gasped.  
  
"Oh my gosh! I completely forgot! I was going to bring him home with me!"  
  
"Why didn't you?" Gohan asked. Leah hesitated.  
  
"I got sidetracked," she said finally.  
  
"Oh." Everyone sensed that this was probably personal, and decided not to pry.  
  
"We're home!!" Vegeta declared. He and Brian walked through the door.  
  
"Grandpa!" Leah exclaimed. She rushed over to her grandfather and hugged him. Vegeta smiled.  
  
"Leah!" he cried happily. "Thank Dende!"  
  
"Hiya, Lee!" Brian said.  
  
"Brian! You're back!" Trunks exclaimed. He stood and walked over to him. Brian grinned.  
  
"Yo, Dad! Miss me?"  
  
"Did I ever!" he shouted. He hugged his son and smiled. "Welcome home."  
  
"Thanks, Dad." He stood back and looked past his father at his sister. Brian smiled. "Hi, Ri." She smiled back at him and went to meet him.  
  
"Hi." She hugged him tightly. "Welcome back."  
  
"It's good to be back," he answered. "I'm glad to see you made it."  
  
"'Course I made it. But only 'cause of you." Rienna smiled. "Thanks for everything."  
  
"No problem," Brian said with a grin. "What are big brothers for?"  
  
"Right." Brian looked down at his shirt (which now had water stains all over it). He looked back at his father and sister, who, he realized, were sopping.  
  
"Boy, you guys are soaked! What happened?"  
  
"Out in the rain," Trunks said. He sneezed again.  
  
"Are you sure you're not sick?" Goten asked.  
  
"I'm telling you, I don't get sick!"  
  
"Sure, Trunks…" Adrienne said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"I don't!" Vegeta cleared his throat and stared at his son impatiently. Trunks smiled at him. "Aw, poor Dad wants a hug, too!" he teased. Vegeta glared at him.  
  
"Don't even think about it."  
  
"Aw, why not?" Trunks smirked at him and took a small step towards him just to see his father's reaction. Vegeta's eyes widened a little.  
  
"No!" he shouted. Trunks laughed.  
  
"Ok, then, your loss." He smiled at Vegeta. "But it's good to see you on our feet." Vegeta scoffed.  
  
"'Bout time someone said something."  
  
"We really were worried, Grandpa," Rienna said. Vegeta smiled.  
  
"I know. Thanks."  
  
"Dad said 'thanks!'" Trunks exclaimed. "It's a miracle!"  
  
"Miracle my butt," Vegeta snarled. "Hope you were recording, 'cause I'm never saying it again!" Goku laughed.  
  
"I dunno, Vegeta…"  
  
"Shut up, Kakarott!"  
  
"Brian!" Brian looked up at the stairs and saw his girlfriend standing at the top. Her eyes were red and her cheeks tear-stained.  
  
"Alex!?"  
  
"Brian!" She rushed down the stairs and into his arms. "Oh, Brian, when they told me what happened-"  
  
"I know, I know," he said softly. "I'm sorry for making you worry. But it's ok now, I'm back." Alex smiled and wiped her tears away.  
  
"I know. And I'm glad." Before either of them could say anything else, the doorbell rang. "Huh?"  
  
"Who could that be?" Bulma wondered aloud. Chi-Chi stood up.  
  
"I'll get it," she said sweetly. She walked to the door and opened it. "Hi, may-" Chi-Chi gasped. "You're-"  
  
"O-oh, sorry, have we met before?"  
  
"You…" Chi-Chi shook her head and smiled at the young visitor. "Sorry, you just look like my son." Everyone in the living room looked at each other curiously. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"Well, I'm looking for someone. Is there a girl named Rienna here?" Chi-Chi cocked her head.  
  
"Rienna? Oh, are you a friend of hers?" By now, Rienna had jumped off the couch and rushed to the door.  
  
"Aedan!" she cried happily. Aedan smiled back at her.  
  
"Hi, Ri!" She threw her arms around him and laughed.  
  
"You're back! I can't believe it!"  
  
"Neither can I," Aedan told her. "But something tells me you know more about this than I do." Rienna smiled.  
  
"You could say that." It was now that she noticed that Aedan was wearing different clothes: a long-sleeved navy shirt replaced his usual tank.  
  
"Rienna! Rienna!!"  
  
"Huh?" Rienna looked down and braced herself just before a little boy latched himself onto her legs. He had short, brown hair, blue eyes, and a few freckles on his cheeks and nose. "Jeremy!"  
  
"Hiya, Ri! Boy, am I glad to see you!" Rienna smiled at him.  
  
"I'm glad to see you, too!"  
  
"You wouldn't believe it!" Jeremy exclaimed. He started to get really excited and was talking extremely fast for a six-year-old. "There was this guy and Mom and I were making cookies and waiting for you guys to get home when he came in the house and he scared the snot out of me 'cause he was really big and tall and the next thing I knew I was in Heaven with Mommy which was kinda scary but it was nice up there and the people are really nice too but ANYWAY Daddy came to visit and then Aedan did too but now we're all back together here and I'm not sure why but I REALLY DON'T CARE!!" Jeremy took a deep breath and grinned up at her. Aedan started laughing.  
  
"Yeah, that about sums it up," he said.  
  
"Well it sounds like you've been through a lot lately." Jeremy nodded and smiled.  
  
"Yup, but that's ok, 'cause now we're all back together!"  
  
"Sure are, kiddo," Aedan said, ruffling his hair. Jeremy laughed.  
  
"Wait…" They both looked at Rienna curiously. "If you're all back together, then Ruben and Jessica…" Aedan grinned.  
  
"You betcha." Rienna smiled.  
  
"Really?! Where are they!?" Almost on cue, Ruben and a brunette about his age came up the drive from their little blue car. "Ruben!" Ruben looked up at her and smiled.  
  
"Hi, Rienna," he said cheerfully. "Long time no see." Rienna laughed.  
  
"No kidding!" she exclaimed, hugging him as he finally met her. "Gosh, I'm glad to see you." She looked at the woman next to Ruben. "And you, too, Jessica," she added. Jessica smiled.  
  
"Good to see you, Ri," she said, hugging the young Saiyan. "It's good to be back."  
  
"Well, don't just stand there in the rain," Chi-Chi said finally, being the kind-hearted person that she is. "Come on in and make yourselves comfortable!"  
  
"Oh, thank you," Ruben said.  
  
"Wow, never been in Capsule Corp.," Aedan said. Rienna laughed. "What?"  
  
"Nothing." Jeremy hopped around her feet, wordlessly begging to be carried. She looked down at him and smiled. "Alright, come here, you!"  
  
"Yaaaay!" Jeremy squealed. He hopped up into her waiting arms and grinned. Aedan shook his head and sighed.  
  
"What?" Rienna asked.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
The hair on Vegeta's neck bristled as the boy's father walked into the room. Adrienne also recognized him, and she clenched her fists and glared at him. Ruben saw them both and immediately felt unwelcome. Luckily, Rienna saw them as well.  
  
"Ok, ok, calm down," she said, glancing at Vegeta. "I know what you're thinking. It's ok, trust me." Adrienne kept her eyes narrowed but relaxed her fists. Vegeta's body remained on edge. Rienna stared him in the face. "Grandpa…" Vegeta grunted and slumped back in his chair. She smiled. "Thanks."  
  
Aedan looked from Rienna to Vegeta to his father, and back again. "…I missed something, here…"  
  
"I did too," Jessica said. Ruben swallowed.  
  
"Well, it's a bit hard to explain…"  
  
"Maybe another time," Trunks said. Ruben shot him a grateful look. Trunks nodded to acknowledge him.   
  
"Um, right, anyway…" Rienna gestured to the Kinamora's. "This is Ruben and his family- Jessica, Jeremy, and Aedan."  
  
"Hi," everyone chorused.  
  
"Here, have a seat," Trunks said, standing up and freeing his end of the couch. "Though it might be a little wet…"  
  
"I don't mind!" Jeremy hopped down from Rienna's arms and plopped down on the couch where Trunks had been sitting. Rienna laughed.  
  
"Well then!"  
  
"You know, we might want to go change," Jamie suggested. Goten nodded.  
  
"Good idea."  
  
"I have plenty of clothes upstairs," Bulma said. "Come on."  
  
"As long as I don't get stuck with one of your dresses," Adrienne said, crossing her arms and following her.  
  
"You won't," Bulma said. She smiled. "It won't be mine."  
  
"MOM!"  
  
"Kidding, Adrienne."  
  
"Better be," she muttered under her breath. Vegeta smirked.  
  
*That's my girl!*  
  
"We'll be right back," Rienna told Aedan. "Make yourselves at home."  
  
"Thanks," he said. Rienna smiled and followed her grandmother up the stairs. Leah, Jamie, Darrin, Goten, and Trunks all followed.  
  
"So, uh…" Brian said. "How do you know Ri?" Aedan sweat-dropped.  
  
"Well, er, it's a looooooong story…"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Soon everyone was back downstairs with a change of clothes.  
  
"Thanks for the skirt, Leah," Rienna was saying. She was wearing a red short-sleeved shirt and white skirt with a pair of white tennis shoes.  
  
"I never wore it anyway," Leah said, shrugging. She had a one-piece floral blue dress that stopped above her knees. Trunks and Goten were wearing red and green long-sleeve t-shirts (respectively) and khaki pants. Jamie's shirt was blue.  
  
"Stupid skirt…!" Adrienne muttered something under her breath and tugged on the short orange skirt she'd been stuck with. Her tank was a lighter shade of orange with a yellow stripe across it. "At least it's orange…!" Trunks laughed. "Shut up, Trunks! Let's see you wear one of these!"  
  
"Shh, don't give Bra ideas!" Goten told her with a laugh. This cheered her up a bit.  
  
"Hey, that's not funny, Goten!" Bra whined from her seat in the living room. Goten laughed.  
  
"Sorry, Bra. Just thinking about the old days."  
  
"You make us sound as old as Mom," Trunks said. Bulma gasped and picked up the nearest blunt object (which happened to be a pillow), hurling it at her son. Trunks easily dodged it and laughed. Vegeta laughed as well.  
  
"Oh, shut up, Vegeta! You're older than I am!" she shouted.  
  
"Do I care?" he asked with a chuckle. Bulma glared at him threateningly.  
  
"Come on, don't fight!" Chi-Chi said good-naturedly. "We're all together again for the first time in a while! We need to enjoy it!" She smiled at the Kinamoras. "And we have guests."  
  
"You're right, chi-chi!" Goku said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "I think we should celebrate! We saved the earth-"  
  
"-again," Trunks said with a laugh. Goku nodded and grinned.  
  
"Again," he repeated. "And we got Ri back!" Rienna blushed and looked at her feet. "We should have a party!"  
  
"Hmph, we don't need a party," Vegeta said.  
  
"Cool! A party!" Jeremy squealed. Vegeta shot him a look, and Jeremy moved closer to Rienna. She smiled and ruffled his hair.  
  
"Now, Jeremy," Jessica said, "we haven't even been invited."  
  
"Well, of course you can come!" Bulma said cheerfully. "Any friend of Rienna's is a friend of ours!"  
  
"Some friends…" Vegeta muttered. Rienna sent him a stern look, but no one else seemed to catch what he'd said.  
  
"A party it is, then!" Goten cheered.  
  
"I'll bring the food!" Videl called.  
  
"You can't possibly fix enough food for all of us!" Jessica exclaimed. Bulma smiled. She didn't know the half of it! "I'll help you!"  
  
"Thanks," Videl said, smiling.  
  
"It's the least I can do."  
  
"We'll help, too," Marron said. "Right, Bridgett?"  
  
"Sure!" her daughter exclaimed excitedly.  
  
"What about decorations…?" Goku wondered aloud.  
  
"Don't you worry about that, Goku," Bulma said. "Leave the décor to me!"  
  
"Yeah, Mom's got enough balloons to float this place to New Namek!" Trunks said.  
  
"Balloons!" Jeremy cheered.  
  
"What else do we need…?" Adrienne asked.  
  
"Games!" Jeremy piped. Aedan laughed and shook his head.  
  
"Look, kiddo, we can think up plenty of games ourselves!"  
  
"Yeah!!" Rienna laughed.  
  
"And I'm sure Ri wouldn't mind helping, either."  
  
"Yeah, Ri!" Jeremy said, tugging on her arm. He gave her the puppy-dog eyes.  
  
"Please?" Aedan said. Just to humor his little brother, Aedan also gave her that pathetic, pleading look. Rienna laughed again.  
  
"I'm sure the three of us can think of something," she said.  
  
"Yay!"  
  
"Is there anything we're forgetting?" Bulma asked.  
  
"Uh……." Everyone racked their brains, trying to think of anything they might have forgotten that's essential for a party.  
  
"How about a sparring match?" Vegeta suggested. Goku grinned.  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"No," Chi-Chi said sternly. "You all just got back from a fight! You need to rest and relax for once!"  
  
"Aw, Chi-Chi/Aw, Grandma…!" Goku and Jamie whined in unison.  
  
"Don't you 'Aw, Chi-Chi' me, Son Goku!" Chi-Chi warned him. Goku stuck out his bottom lip and whimpered.  
  
"We should get busy, then!" Gohan said. "This is going to take a while to prepare!"  
  
"Yeah, no kidding," Krillin agreed, looking around at the large group in the living room.  
  
"Then let's hop to it!" As the words had come out of her mouth, Adrienne just knew someone was going to say something. She was right.  
  
"'Hop to it'? What kind of stupid-"  
  
"Shut up, Trunks!"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Aedan, gimme a piggy-back ride!" Jeremy shouted. He looked up at his brother expectantly. Aedan stopped talking to Brian and looked down at him sympathetically.  
  
"Not now, squirt, I'm busy."  
  
"But Aedan, you're not doing anything!"  
  
"I'm talking to Brian."  
  
"But *that's* no fun!" Brian laughed.  
  
"C'mon, Jeremy, go find Rienna. I'm sure she'd love to."  
  
"But Aedan-" Aedan gave his little brother a stern look. "Oh, fine!" He stomped off towards the living room. Aedan sighed.  
  
"That kid… So, what were you saying?"  
  
"Oh, I was going to ask you…"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Meany," Jeremy muttered under his breath. "I'll just have to find someone else!" The little boy yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Maybe not… I'm awfully tired." Suddenly, he spotted Leah and Darrin sitting on the couch. Darrin had his arm around Leah's shoulder. Jeremy grinned and hopped up on the couch, squeezing himself in-between them. "Hi, Leah!" he said sweetly. He grabbed her arm, leaned his head against her shoulder, and closed his eyes. Darrin frowned slightly.  
  
"Hey…!"  
  
"Oh, he's so cute!" Leah exclaimed with a laugh. She ruffled his hair. Jeremy tried to pretend he was asleep, but couldn't help grinning.  
  
"That's not fair…" Darrin muttered. "Attention thief."  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Bulma hummed to herself as she prepared the decorations in the dining room. It'd been quite a while since everyone had gotten together for a big bash like this. In fact, they hadn't since Chloe died. Suddenly, Bulma dropped the roll of streamers she'd been holding and gasped. "Oh great Kami!" She immediately rushed out of the room, not even bothering to pick up the streamers. Pan stared after her.  
  
"What's up with her?" Goku shrugged and started to blow up another balloon.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Skirt looks nice, Adrienne," Trunks said with a grin. Adrienne glared at him and tugged on her skirt.  
  
"Shut up, Trunks!" she shouted angrily. Trunks grinned at her and stuck out his tongue.  
  
"Come here and make me, then!" Adrienne clenched her fists and was about to belt Trunks across the face when Goten held her back.  
  
"Lemme go! I'm gonna hurt him!"  
  
"We know," Goten and Bra chorused. Trunks frowned.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Serves you right, you coward!" Adrienne yelled. "This isn't the first time you've hidden behind somebody else!"  
  
"I'm not hiding behind anybody, Dri!" Trunks said. "I never have!"  
  
"Oh yeah?! Remember that time…"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Let me go!" A six-year-old Adrienne shouted. She was being held back by Vegeta. "I'm gonna kill him!"  
  
"Adrienne, stop it," Vegeta said sternly.  
  
Trunks stood in front of her with his hands on his hips. "Too bad I have Daddy to protect me, *huh*?"  
  
Adrienne scowled and spit- right in his smirking, arrogant face. Trunks gasped. "MOMMY!!!!!" Trunks ran into the kitchen, waving his arms around. "Mommy, Mommy, Adrienne spit on me! GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF! COOTIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"I'm trying, Trunks!" Bulma exclaimed, finally wiping the spit off his forehead.  
  
"Now, Adrienne," Vegeta said, trying very hard not to laugh as he disciplined his child. "You don't-" Smirk. "-spit-" Smirk widens. "-in people's-" Stifles laugh. "-faces!"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Trunks stared at his sister in silence. Goten laughed.  
  
"You never told me about that before!" he exclaimed. "You actually spit on him?"  
  
"You bet I did," Adrienne said proudly. "Didn't I, Cootie-boy?" Trunks blushed and glared at her.  
  
"Shut up, Adrienne!" His sister smirked.  
  
"Make me, why don't you?" Trunks clenched his fists.  
  
"Don't tempt me."  
  
"Come on, guys, no fighting!" Bra whined.  
  
"You stay out of this!" they said in unison. Bra gasped.  
  
"Fine!" She turned on her heel and left. "Daddy!" As soon as she was gone, Adrienne jumped on her brother with a shout and started to beat the crap out of him. Goten sweat-dropped.  
  
"Haven't grown up at all…"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Jeremy wandered around the house, looking for a lap to sit in. Leah had had to help someone in the kitchen, so his sleep-spot had been taken away. Aedan was busy talking to Brian still, and Jeremy knew full well that once he got talking, he wouldn't stop.  
  
The little chibi sighed. What's a kid to do to find a decent lap to sit in?  
  
"Hey, Jeremy!"  
  
"Huh?" Jeremy looked up to see Leah pass him on her way back to the living room. She ruffled his hair as she went by and smiled at him. He grinned. "Hi!" Leah waved and disappeared into the living room. As soon as she left, Jeremy's grin widened. He'd rediscovered his sleep-spot.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Bulma rushed into the lab and hurriedly flipped on the light switch. "Where is it?! Oh my gosh, I can't believe I forgot…!" She ran around the room, looking fervently for her object. She finally found it sitting in a corner- a long, elliptical machine made of a silver-colored metal. She smiled. "Found you." She walked over to the machine and typed something into the control panel. She then hit a large green button at the end, causing the lid to open with a hiss. "Sorry it took so long."  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Jeremy chuckled devilishly to himself and peered over the back of the couch. Darrin was sitting with Leah in his lap- both were watching TV. Jeremy grinned and walked around to the front of the couch. He looked up at them expectantly and was about to open his mouth to say something when Darrin interrupted him.  
  
"Bug off, you little thief," he said calmly. Jeremy frowned, and his lip began to tremble. He stared up at Leah with large hurt-filled eyes and started to cry. Leah gasped.  
  
"Darrin, look what you've done!" she scolded him. She scooped Jeremy up and set him in her lap. He sniffed and leaned his head against her. Darrin peered over her shoulder and glared at the little Saiyan that had once again stolen his girlfriend. While Leah wasn't looking, Jeremy grinned at Darrin and stuck out his tongue. Darrin almost gasped.  
  
*Why you little…!*  
  
"Darrin, stop giving him a hard time!" Leah told him. Jeremy grinned even wider at Darrin, and Darrin could just imagine little devil horns sprouting out of the boy's head.  
  
"I do not like that child…"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"AEDAN KINAMORA, COME GET YOUR LITTLE BROTHER!!!" Brian stopped mid-sentence and stared in the direction of the living room.  
  
"Oh boy. Darrin doesn't sound too happy…" Brian said thoughtfully.  
  
"Uh oh," Aedan said. "Wonder what Remy did now."  
  
"Who knows," Brian said with a shrug.  
  
"Guess I'd better go find out."  
  
"I'll come with you." Aedan smiled.  
  
"Thanks." Brian grinned at him.  
  
"No prob."  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Darrin peeled the child off of Leah and dropped him on the floor. "And stay off!" he said. Leah gasped.   
  
"Darrin!" Jeremy frowned up at him and put his hands on his hips. Vegeta smirked.  
  
"Somebody's getting a little crabby," he said cleverly. Jeremy glared at Darrin, and Darrin glared back at him. Aedan skidded into the living room and looked around. Brian appeared behind him.  
  
"What'd he do now?" Aedan asked quickly. Jeremy stood up and put his hands on his hips again.  
  
"He won't let me sit in Leah's lap!" he shouted, pointing an angry finger in Darrin's direction.  
  
"He's stealing my girlfriend!" Darrin shouted back, pointing at Jeremy. Vegeta's smirk faded. Girlfriend?! This was new!!  
  
"Oh, is that what this is about?" Aedan asked. He sighed with relief. "I though he'd actually done something."  
  
"What do you mean?! He did something, alright!" Darrin yelled. "You didn't see the evil little grin he was giving me!!" Aedan sweat-dropped and laughed a bit nervously.  
  
"Well you dropped him on the floor!!" Leah shouted.  
  
"QUIET!!" Everyone stopped and stared at Vegeta. "First of all, this is ridiculous! Second of all…" He turned on Darrin and glared at him furiously. He thrust a finger in Leah's direction. "SINCE WHEN IS SHE YOUR GIRLFRIEND?!" Darrin sweat-dropped and started to stutter.  
  
"Since- I- uh- erm- well- I- I meant- she's not- uh, technically- well- crap." Leah grabbed his hand and looked at Vegeta.  
  
"Since today," she said. Leah smiled at Darrin. "Because I love him." Vegeta gaped at the two of them as his face started to turn red.  
  
"Uh, Aedan?" Brian asked suddenly.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Run."  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Brian, Aedan, and Jeremy scrambled out of the living room as Vegeta started to throw a major Saiyan temper-tantrum. Leah and Darrin weren't far behind. Many crashes and explosions were coming from the living room, along with Vegeta's indecipherable yells of fury. They didn't stop running until they reached the kitchen. Videl and the others had gone shopping for supplies, so the room was vacant.  
  
"What are you trying to do, kill us?!" Brian exclaimed furiously. Leah smiled sweetly at him.  
  
"Maybe some of you." Brian frowned and put his hands on his hips.  
  
"I've never run so fast in my life!" Aedan exclaimed. "Jeez, that guy has issues!"  
  
"Uh *huh*," Jeremy agreed.  
  
"You say that's your grandfather?" Aedan asked.  
  
"Yup, that's grandpa for you," Brian said with a sigh.  
  
"Good ol' Vegeta…" Darrin muttered. Goku skidded to a halt in front of them and rushed into the kitchen.  
  
"Gosh, what did you do!?" he exclaimed. "Vegeta yelled something about Leah and threw the couch at me! I mean, I haven't seen him this mad since Adrienne said she was-" Goku stopped and stared at them for a second. "*Oh.*" All five of them sweat-dropped. "I see." Goku cleared his throat. "I'll just…. Be in the other room." He quickly turned and left.  
  
"And that's my other grandfather," Leah said. Aedan and Jeremy looked at each other.  
  
"That's a bit scary," Jeremy whispered. Aedan nodded and tried not to laugh.  
  
"Some party this has turned out to be," Brian said.  
  
"I hope this doesn't happen every time," Aedan said.  
  
"Oh, you haven't seen the half of it," Darrin said Aedan's eyes widened and looked as though he was about to faint.  
  
"N-not even ha-half?!"  
  
"Take a deep breath, Aedan," Jeremy told him. Aedan sweat-dropped.  
  
"I dunno if I can take this…" Darrin, Leah, and Brian laughed.  
  
"You ain't seen nothin' yet," Brian said.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Anyone know why Vegeta is tearing up the living room?!" Chi-Chi asked, shouting to be heard above the racket he was making. Krillin shrugged.  
  
"No idea!" he shouted.  
  
"I've never seen him so angry!" Eighteen exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, you have," Goku said glumly.  
  
"What?!" The whole group of them shouted together.  
  
"Son Goku, did you have something to do with this!?" Chi-Chi demanded.  
  
"No, I had nothing to do with this!" he yelled. "And I said, 'Yeah, you have'!"   
  
"When!?" Gohan asked.  
  
"When Adrienne said she was going out with Goten!"  
  
"What's that got to do with anything?!" Chi-Chi asked.  
  
"Well, put it together! What is he yelling about?!" Everyone stopped and listened for a few minutes.  
  
"Something about Leah!" Krillin yelled finally.  
  
"Well…?!" The group was silent for a moment. Chi-Chi was the first to figure it out.  
  
"…Oh dear."  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Vegeta sat in the midst of the wreckage they used to call a living room, seething with rage and muttering to himself. Most of his anger had already been expelled, but Vegeta was still on edge. He sighed in exasperation. "Destruction just isn't what it used to be!" He continued to mutter under his breath while thinking of other ways to relieve his stress. No one would dare fight with him now, he reasoned. They were all chicken- or maybe just smart. "I can't believe it… I'm loosing another of my girls…! WHAT'S THE WORLD COMING TO THESE DAYS?!"  
  
Vegeta stood up and began to think over blowing the couch into smithereens and watching the feathers from the pillows scatter across the room. Not satisfactory enough. No, what would really get his mind off of things would be blowing up the "competition." Vegeta smirked. Now there was an idea. "What am I thinking?!" he realized suddenly. "I can't blow up *Darrin*!" Besides, even if he could bring himself to do it, it would make Leah terribly sad- and everyone else angry with him. Heck, he'd be no better than Aaron himself! Vegeta growled and sat back down, cross-legged. There had to be something he could do… Vegeta sighed and drummed his fingers on his knee. There had to be something…  
  
"Look at him," Chi-Chi whispered. "He's just sitting there. Poor thing must be in shock."  
  
"Vegeta doesn't go into shock, Chi!" Goku told her.  
  
"He's probably plotting something," Krillin said.  
  
"What would he be plotting?" Eighteen asked. "He won't kill Darrin. Vegeta loves that boy more than he lets on."  
  
"He's plotting something," Krillin repeated. "I just know it!"  
  
"C'mon, Krillin, give him a break!" Gohan said. "We know Vegeta better than that!"  
  
"Yeah, guess you're right," Krillin agreed reluctantly.  
  
"Maybe someone should talk to him," Pan suggested.  
  
"Don't look at me," Goku said. "You know he doesn't listen to me."  
  
"Hmm…"  
  
"Well, out of us that aren't doing something constructive," Eighteen said, "who does he like best?"  
  
"…………" All of them quickly left the room in search of Vegeta's favorite person- Adrienne.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Ow! Trunks, let go of my hair!!"  
  
"Then let go of mine!"  
  
"Ok, ok, break it up!" Goten shouted. He rushed to break up the fight before someone was seriously injured. "Guys, come on! Grow up!" Goten grabbed their right wrists and pulled them apart. "Give it a rest!"  
  
"Tell that to Cootie Boy over there!" Adrienne snapped.  
  
"Shut up!" Trunks yelled.  
  
"GUYS!" Goten took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. "Just… stop it. Please?" Trunks rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, jerking away from his best friend.  
  
"Fine, but Adrienne has to apologize."  
  
"Only if you will!"  
  
"What should I apologize for? You jumped me!" Goten's eye started to twitch.  
  
"Guys…!"  
  
"Fine, fine! Sorry, Adrienne," Trunks said dully.  
  
"I'm sorry too," Adrienne said the same tone.  
  
"That's better," Goten said. "Now let's go find something.. constructive to do."  
  
"Well I'm going to go help Mom," Trunks decided. He shot Adrienne a dark look. "And don't follow me."  
  
"What makes you think I'd want to!?" Adrienne shot back.  
  
"C'mon, guys, don't fight…!" Goten whined. "Jeez!" Trunks rolled his eyes and stormed out of the room.  
  
"Well, if Trunks is helping Mom, then… I'll help… I dunno! But I'll find someone!" Adrienne declared. She stomped out in the opposite direction of Trunks. Goten sighed and rushed after her.  
  
"Adrienne, wait for me!"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Yo, Pan, you seen Mom?" Trunks asked. Pan shook her head.  
  
"Not for a while."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, she was hanging those streamers over there and gasped. Then she ran out of the room. She probably forgot something," Pan said. "Seemed pretty important, too, for her to leave like that."  
  
"Hmmm…" Trunks frowned and thought for a second. "Which way did she go?"  
  
"Off that way," she answered, pointing out of the room towards the labs.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"No problem, Trunks!" Pan called, waving. Trunks smiled, waved back, and ran off down the hall.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Adrienne, just the person we were looking for!" Krillin exclaimed happily. He, Eighteen, Goku, Chi-Chi, and Gohan were approaching her and Goten. Adrienne stopped and took a step backwards.  
  
"Whatever it is, I'm not doing it," she said.  
  
"No, no, you don't understand!" Chi-Chi exclaimed.  
  
"It's Vegeta," Goku explained. "He's not… acting right." Goten coughed and looked up at the ceiling. Adrienne shot him a look- so did his parents. "You know what I meant, Goten!" Goku said sternly.  
  
"Right, sorry," Goten said with a smile. Adrienne glared at him.  
  
*I'll deal with you later…* she told him. Goten sweat-dropped and laughed a little. "So what about Dad?" she asked.  
  
"Well, he tore up the living room, for a start," Gohan said. Adrienne sweat-dropped.  
  
"Tore up the living room?!"  
  
"Told you he was crazy," Goten said. Adrienne shot him another glare and hit him in the back of the head. "Ow!" Chi-Chi also glared at her son. "Ok, ok, I get it! Sheesh!"  
  
"So, anyway…" Goku started. "He demolished the living room- and threw a couch at me, too! I mean, all I asked was whether he liked blue or red better and-" Chi-Chi cleared her throat. Goku grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Right, sorry. So, like I was saying, after that, he just sat in the middle of the room muttering under his breath."  
  
"And occasionally yelled something," Gohan added.  
  
"Sounds like when you told him you were going out with me," Goten said with a grin.  
  
"Exactly," everyone excepting him and Adrienne said. Goten sweat-dropped.  
  
"Uh, I'm not sure I get it…"  
  
"Me either," Adrienne agreed.  
  
"Well, when he was… rearranging the living room," Eighteen explained, "we could occasionally catch the names of Leah and Darrin mixed in with his shouts."  
  
"………………Oh." Adrienne and Goten looked at each other, then back at the group. Goten suddenly frowned angrily and rolled up his sleeves.  
  
"If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go give Darrin a piece of my-"  
  
"No, Goten, not yet," Adrienne said, trying to hold back a smile. She put her hand on her arm and stared him in the face. "We'll talk with them later." Goten nodded. "So you want me to talk to him, right?"  
  
"We were hoping you would," Chi-Chi said. "He seems really… depressed." Adrienne nodded.  
  
"Ok, I'll see what I can do." Goku grinned at her.  
  
"Great!" he exclaimed. "Well, I have to go help Pan with the decorations. Guess I better get back." He waved at them. "See ya later!"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Mom? You in here?" Trunks popped his head into another empty lab and sighed. "Nope." He pulled his head back out and walked off down the hall to the next one. "Mom?" Again, no sign of Bulma. "Well, where is she?" Trunks looked in one room after another and still couldn't find her. "Ok, this is getting annoying," Trunks muttered under his breath. "Wonder where she went… Hey, Mom!" he shouted suddenly. "Where are you!?" Silence- except for those soft footsteps behind him.  
  
*Wait a minute! FOOTSTEPS??* Trunks whirled around and found himself face-to-face with a woman about six inches shorter than him Her hair was lavender and reached her chin, and her green eyes sparkled as they gazed into his. She was wearing a pale blue floral spaghetti-strap dress that reached her knees. Trunks gasped and, for once, was totally speechless.  
  
"C-c-c-c-Chloe?" he stuttered finally. Chloe smiled as happy tears filled her eyes. She nodded.  
  
"Trunks."  
  
"Are you… real?" Chloe laughed.  
  
"Of course I'm real," she said. "I'll always be real. But real, as in alive..." She smiled at him. "It's surprising to me, too."  
  
"But how are you-"  
  
"Bulma told me about the Dragonballs," she explained. "Apparently, Shenron takes things generally." Trunks smiled.  
  
"I love that dragon," he said. He stared at her for a moment. He was trying so hard to contain his happiness, but the tears began to fill his eyes anyway. "You look good," he said softly.  
  
"Considering I look ten years younger than I really am?" Trunks laughed.  
  
"You'll always be beautiful to me," he told her. He put his hand on her cheek. "You don't know how much I've missed you."  
  
"And you don't know how much I've missed *you*," Chloe said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I love you so much…" she whispered. Finally, Trunks couldn't hold out any longer, and his tears flowed freely.  
  
"I love you, too," he said shakily. He pulled her closer and lifted her face so he could look her in the eyes. "More than you know." Chloe smiled.  
  
"Then show me," she said softly. Trunks smiled and pulled her into a long, passionate kiss. Over in the shadows of an open doorway, Bulma smiled and wiped away a single, joyful tear.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Dad?" Adrienne said quietly. She stepped over the items littering the floor and carefully picked her way to the center of the room where Vegeta was sitting quietly.  
  
"What do you want?!" Vegeta snapped. He turned around to see who would dare disturb his train of thought. When he saw that it was Adrienne, his expression softened. "Oh. Hello, Adrienne."  
  
"Are you ok?" she asked. She cleared a spot next to him and sat down.  
  
"I'm perfectly fine!" he told her. "What makes you think I'm not?!" Adrienne stared at him, clearly not amused. Vegeta sighed. "Can't you leave me alone?"  
  
"No," she said with a soft smile. "We're worried, and, well, confused. Anything you want to talk about?"  
  
"Hmph." Vegeta crossed his arms. "No."  
  
"Are you sure?" Vegeta stared at her with the same expression she had used earlier. "Don't give me that look!"  
  
"Then don't give it to me." Adrienne glared at him.  
  
"Stop trying to change the subject," she told him.  
  
"You're the one that changed the subject." Adrienne narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Stop being so difficult!" Vegeta smirked at her.  
  
"I'm-"  
  
"A difficult person, yeah, I know," she finished for him. Vegeta frowned. "Now would you please tell me what's going on?" Vegeta sighed.  
  
"You're not going to let me go, are you?"  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"Then I don't have a choice?"  
  
"No."  
  
"…You're giving me the look again."  
  
"Dad!"  
  
"Alright, alright!" Vegeta shouted. "Great Kami, you're worse than your mother!"  
  
"Which one?" Adrienne asked.  
  
"Both," Vegeta said with a smile. Adrienne grinned at him.  
  
"Best of both worlds," she said. Vegeta nodded.  
  
"Now, let's see, what's bugging me right now…?" he asked thoughtfully. "Plenty of things. What made me angry?" Adrienne gave him a look. "Fine, fine, I'll get right to the point."  
  
"Good idea."  
  
"I tore up the living room because Leah and Darrin told me they were going out!" Vegeta clenched his fists. "I can't believe that little cretin would go behind my back and steal my granddaughter!"  
  
"Like Goten 'stole' me from you?"  
  
"YES! After all I've done for that little brat-" Adrienne snickered. "What!?"  
  
"Nothing. Go on." Vegeta glared at her.  
  
"You're not taking me seriously."  
  
"No, I am!" Adrienne protested.  
  
"Yeah, right." Vegeta stood up and looked down at her. "I'm getting out of here."  
  
"But, Dad! I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it, honest!" she told him. "I was just remembering the time you and Goku had to baby-sit, and you couldn't find the 'little cretin'." Vegeta smirked.  
  
"You mean when he was hanging from the chandelier?" Adrienne nodded and laughed.  
  
"That was his favorite place to hide," she said. Vegeta sat back down and smiled.  
  
"That, and under the couch. It was 'his home', remember?"  
  
"Do I ever!" Adrienne said with a laugh. "I think we even have some pictures somewhere."  
  
"Do we really?" Vegeta asked eagerly. He laughed. "We should find them," he said with a smirk. Adrienne grinned.  
  
"I think I know where they are."  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for, then!?" Vegeta hopped up and offered her a hand. "Let's go!" Adrienne smiled and took his hand.  
  
"Why not?" Chi-Chi and Eighteen smiled at each other.  
  
"Mission accomplished," Chi-Chi said.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"It's awfully quiet in the living room…" Leah commented.  
  
"Yeah," Darrin said. "Wonder what he's doing…"  
  
"I don't know if I wanna find out," Aedan admitted. Brian laughed.  
  
"Yeah, I know what you mean."  
  
"Darrin!" Goten called. He sounded a bit angry. Darrin sweat-dropped. "Could you come out here, please?"  
  
"Uh oh, what'd I do now?" Leah shrugged.  
  
"Dunno. But you'd better go." Darrin nodded.  
  
"Why do I get the feeling this has something to do with you?" Leah smiled.  
  
"Because everyone loves me." Brian whispered something to Aedan, causing him to laugh. "Shut up, Brian!"  
  
"Don't tell me what to do!" Brian shouted back. They stuck their tongues out at each other and scoffed.  
  
"Darrin!"  
  
"Right, better go." Darrin went to walk out of the kitchen. Brian started to hum a funeral march. Darrin shot him a look, making him grin back. "Don't make me hurt you." Darrin walked out of the kitchen.  
  
"Don't make me hurt you," Brian repeated sassily. He rolled his eyes. "Please."  
  
"We should probably find Jamie and Ri," Aedan suggested. "It'd give us something to do."  
  
"Yeah," Brian agreed. Jeremy hopped off the counter and onto the floor.  
  
"Let's go!" he cried eagerly. Aedan smiled and picked him up, flipping him upside down. Jeremy squealed with glee and started laughing.  
  
"C'mon, squirt, let's get out of here," Aedan told him. Brian laughed and followed them. Leah stared as they left her alone in the kitchen.  
  
"Well, now what am *I* supposed to do!?" she whined. "Guys, wait for me!"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"I can't wait to tell the kids! They'll be so happy to see you! Everyone will!" Trunks said happily. Chloe nodded.  
  
"I'll be just as happy to see them," she said.  
  
"Wait a minute."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You said my mom told you about the Dragonballs…"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Where is she?" Bulma suddenly burst into laughter. They both whirled around to see her doubled-over as if in pain. "MOM!?" Bulma continued laughing. "Have you been following us this whole time?!" he demanded. Bulma couldn't voice her answer, so she nodded instead. "Mo-om!!"  
  
"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Bulma, breathe," Chloe told her gently. Bulma slowly started to calm down.  
  
"I'm sorry, Trunks," she said again. "I couldn't help it."  
  
"What do you mean, you couldn't help it!?"  
  
"Trunks, calm down," Chloe said.  
  
"Calm down!? She's been- I mean she just- OOH!" Trunks clenched his fists and stomped his foot. "You make me so angry!"  
  
"I'm sorry, I really couldn't resist," Bulma explained. "I had to see it for myself."  
  
"It??"  
  
"You two back together!" Trunks blushed and glared at her.  
  
"MOM!"  
  
"What!?"  
  
"You're impossible!" Trunks exclaimed. He stormed off down the hall.  
  
"Oh, Trunks!" Bulma groaned.  
  
"Trunks, wait!" Chloe called.  
  
"I can't believe you would do that!" Trunks cried, turning around to face them. "Can't we have a little privacy?"  
  
"Oh, Trunks, I said I'm sorry," Bulma said. "I won't do it again, promise." Trunks crossed his arms. Chloe sighed.  
  
"Trunks, it's really no big deal."  
  
"Maybe to you," he said crossly.  
  
"Well, if we love each other, we shouldn't be ashamed of it!" Trunks blushed and didn't say anything. "You do love me, don't you?"  
  
"Of course! You know that!"  
  
"And I love you," she said. "See? No problem." She put her arm around his shoulders and hugged him. "Right?"  
  
"Guess so…" She kissed his cheek.  
  
"That's better." Bulma sighed.  
  
"And I don't have my camera."  
  
"MOM!"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Oh, I just thought of something!" Chi-Chi exclaimed suddenly.  
  
"What's that?" Eighteen asked.  
  
"Well, I was thinking… Goten and Adrienne are both back-" Eighteen put her hands over her ears. "Eighteen!"  
  
"I don't want to hear it, Chi-Chi!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Fine! I'll just go find them without you!"  
  
"Go right ahead." Chi-Chi crossed her arms.  
  
"Fine, I will!" She stomped off to find her son and daughter-in-law. Eighteen shook her head.  
  
"I should probably find them first…" She looked around, then ran off in the opposite direction.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"So how's your arm feeling?" Rienna asked. Jamie grinned.   
  
"Much better," he answered.  
  
"I'm just glad you're alive," Krystal said. Jamie smiled.  
  
"So am I. I'm glad we're all alive." Alex nodded.  
  
"Thank Kami for those Dragonballs," she said. "Which reminds me… You guys haven't seen Brian running around, have you?" she asked.  
  
"No, sorry," Krystal said, shaking her head.  
  
"Last I saw, he was talking to Aedan," Jamie said.  
  
"Hey, I haven't seen him for a while, either," Rienna said thoughtfully.  
  
"Everyone disappeared after that racket in the living room," Alex said.  
  
"Come to think of it, you're right. I haven't seen Leah or Darrin or anyone!" Krystal exclaimed.  
  
"Maybe we should go looking for them?" Rienna suggested.  
  
"Yeah…" Jamie agreed. "Why not?"  
  
"Let's go, then!" Alex cheered.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Adrienne, dear, I was just looking for you!" Adrienne groaned inwardly. What could they possibly want her to do now!? Adrienne and Vegeta turned around. Adrienne was surprised- it was only Chi-Chi. "Hello, Vegeta!" Vegeta scoffed and crossed his arms.  
  
"Hi, Chi-Chi," Adrienne said kindly. "What do you need?"  
  
"Well," Chi-Chi said, glancing at Vegeta. "I was hoping I could talk to you… alone."  
  
"Oh…" Adrienne turned to her father. "You go ahead, I'll catch up with you later." Vegeta nodded and walked off down the hall. "So what is it?'  
  
"Well…"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"…and another thing-" Goten stopped short and stared at the two fingers in the doorway. Darrin winced and waited for him to finish. When he didn't say anything, Darrin followed his gaze and gasped.  
  
"It can't be…"  
  
"Chloe!?" the two of them exclaimed at the same time. Chloe smiled.  
  
"Hi, guys," she said cheerfully. "I'm back."  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Bulma waltzed into the dining room, a huge smile on her face. She hummed to herself and picked up the streamers she had dropped earlier, pinning them on the wall as she made her way around the room. It took all her strength to keep from running around the house shouting for joy at the top of her lungs.  
  
"What's with her?" Pan whispered to her grandfather. Goku shrugged.  
  
"I dunno…" He put his bag of balloons on the floor and walked over to her. "Hey, Bulma."  
  
"Oh, hello, Goku!" Bulma said cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"Well, if you don't mind me asking…" She looked at him curiously. "Pan and I… well, we were wondering… why you're so happy all of a sudden." Bulma laughed.  
  
"Oh, is that all?" she asked. "Well that's easy. Why don't you go find Trunks and ask him. I'm sure he'd love to tell you." Goku frowned with confusion as Bulma went back to putting up streamers. He looked at Pan, who shrugged with the same confused look. Without a word, they walked out of the room to find him.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Did anyone besides me just hear my mom scream in frustration?" Jamie asked suddenly. Rienna smiled.  
  
"Good. I thought I was going crazy," she said.  
  
"Yeah, me too," Alex said. Krystal nodded.  
  
"Wonder what's up," she said. Jamie shrugged.  
  
"I dunno. Knowing my mom, it could be anything."  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"No, Chi-Chi!" Adrienne shouted. She was walking as fast as she could away from the pestering old woman, but Chi-Chi was just as fast. "I'm not going to listen to you and your crazy grandkids talk!"  
  
"Oh, but Adrienne," Chi-Chi protested. "Three grandkids isn't enough!"  
  
"THEN GO ASK GOHAN!!" Adrienne screamed. Chi-Chi frowned.  
  
"You think I didn't?!" Adrienne stopped and turned around to stare at her.  
  
"…You're crazy."  
  
"Thank you," Chi-Chi said politely. "Now-"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Oh, but Adrienne!" Chi-Chi said sadly. She grabbed her daughter-in-law's arm and stared at her tearfully. "You said yourself I was crazy! You wouldn't deny a crazy old woman her last wishes, would you?"  
  
"…" Adrienne stared at her for a moment. "Do the words 'Vegeta's child' mean anything to you?" she asked finally.  
  
"Hm… good point." Just then, Jamie and the girls rounded the corner.  
  
"Oh, hey, Mom!" Jamie said. "We were just looking for you!"  
  
"Now what!?" Adrienne exclaimed angrily.  
  
"…Nothing… we were just looking for you…" Jamie said quietly.  
  
"…Oh…" Adrienne shook her head. "Sorry, Jamie."  
  
"That's ok."  
  
"Adrienne," Alex piped up, "you haven't seen Brian around, have you?"  
  
"Sorry, Alex, haven't seen him." She grinned. "I can't believe you'd lose your boyfriend that easily." Alex laughed.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before," she said good-naturedly. "Thanks anyway."  
  
"So I guess you haven't seen my Dad or Aedan either," Rienna said. Adrienne shook her head.  
  
"Last time I saw your father was when I punched him in the face a while ago." The four teens sweat-dropped.  
  
"You what?" Adrienne also sweat-dropped.  
  
"Well, erm, yes… Anyway! That's not important!" she declared. "No, I haven't seen any of them recently."  
  
"Ok, thanks, Mrs. Son!" Krystal said.  
  
"Call me Adrienne, Krys," Adrienne said. Krystal blushed.  
  
"Right, sorry. Thanks, Adrienne." Adrienne nodded.  
  
"No problem."  
  
"Well, we're gonna go look for them, I guess," Jamie said. "You wanna come?"  
  
"No, I think I'm going to look for your dad," Adrienne said. "He disappeared a minute ago."  
  
"Oh, alright. See ya later!" The four of them walked back down the hall.  
  
"Oh, goodie! We're going to look for Goten!" Chi-Chi cried happily. "I bet I can change *his* mind!" Adrienne sweat-dropped.  
  
"…On second thought, I think I will go with the kids!" she said suddenly. She ran off down the hall before anyone could stop her. "Bye, Chi-Chi!" she said cheerfully, waving over her shoulder as she left.  
  
"Oh, but wait!" Chi-Chi called. Adrienne ignored her and kept going. Chi-Chi sighed. "I guess I'll have to find Goten on my own, then…"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Goten!" Eighteen called. "Goten, where are you?"  
  
"Hiya, Eighteen," Leah said cheerfully. "Lookin' for Dad?" Eighteen nodded.  
  
"Yes," she said. "I need to wa- talk to him." Eighteen smiled. "Haven't seen him, have you?"  
  
"I think he and Darrin went to the living room," Brian said. Eightee quirked an eyebrow at them.  
  
"The *other* living room," Aedan said. Eighteen nodded.  
  
"Right."  
  
"Actually, we're heading that way," Leah said. "Mind if we tag along?" Eighteen smiled.  
  
"No, not really."  
  
"Yay!" Jeremy cheered. He grinned up at Eighteen. She smiled back at him. Aedan laughed. "What?!" His older brother shook his head.  
  
"Nothin'."  
  
"Yeah, right!"  
  
"C'mon," Eighteen said. She offered him her hand and smiled. "Just ignore him, Jeremy." Jeremy grinned. He took her hand and spit his tongue out at Aedan, who shook his head in response. The two of them walked off down the hall. Brian and Leah cocked their heads at them.  
  
"He just has this obsession with attention," Aedan explained. They both nodded.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Well, better follow her," Brian said.  
  
"Yeah," Leah said. "Hey, Eighteen, wait for us!"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Now where did they go?" Adrienne asked herself.  
  
"Hey, Mom!" Leah said. "I thought you were with Grandma?" Adrienne sweat-dropped.  
  
"Well, you see, I was, but, uh…" Eighteen put her hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry, you don't have to say another word." Adrienne laughed a little nervously and cleared her throat.  
  
"Um, yes."  
  
"So what are you doing now?" Brian asked.  
  
"I dunno. What are you up to?"  
  
"We're on our way to warn Goten," Eighteen explained. When the children gave her odd looks, she cleared her throat. "I mean to talk to him." Adrienne nodded.  
  
"Right."  
  
"Ah, Goten, there you are!" Adrienne's and Eighteen's eyes went wide.  
  
"Shoot!" Adrienne exclaimed.  
  
"We're too late!" Eighteen moaned.  
  
"Too late?" Aedan asked.  
  
"For what?" Jeremy asked.  
  
"There's still a chance! We can still save him!" Eighteen said. Adrienne nodded.  
  
"Let's go!" The two of them ran off down the hall. "Hey, Chi-Chi! You're- uh… wanted in the kitchen!" The kids sweat-dropped.  
  
"…I have no idea what's going on," Leah said finally.  
  
"Me either," Brian admitted.  
  
"Frankly, I'm not sure I want to find out," Aedan said. Jeremy nodded.  
  
"Hiya, guys!" Jamie said from behind them. The four of them turned around to meet Jamie, Rienna, Krystal, and Alex.  
  
"Hi, Jamie!" Brian said cheerfully. Alex crossed her arms.  
  
"Oh, sure, greet the best friend, neglect the girlfriend." Brian sweat-dropped.  
  
"A-Alex, I-I didn't mean it like that!" Alex laughed.  
  
"I know, you idiot. I'm not stupid." Brian sweat-dropped again and laughed.  
  
"Yeah, I guess not."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean!?"  
  
"N-nothing!" The rest of the teens laughed.  
  
"C'mon, no fighting," Krystal said. "This is supposed to be a happy occasion, remember?"  
  
"Yeah, guys," Rienna said. "Half of us were dead an hour ago. We should be thankful they still aren't!"  
  
"You're right, Ri," Alex said. "Sorry." Brian smiled.  
  
"Yeah, me too."   
  
"Maybe we should see what they're up to…" Leah suggested suddenly, with a wary glance at the living room doorway.   
  
"Yeah… Something about 'saving' Uncle Goten sounds… intriguing," Brian said.  
  
"What? What about my dad?" Jamie asked.  
  
"…It's a long story," Leah, Brian and Aedan chorused.  
  
"It's not *that* long," Jeremy said. "Miss Adrienne and Miss Eighteen were acting kinda funny, though…" He pointed to the living room. "They ran off when Miss Chi-Chi found Mr. Goten!" Jamie and his group sweat-dropped.  
  
"What??" Rienna asked. "That's really… confusing…"  
  
"Our thoughts exactly," Aedan said. "That's why we're gonna go check it out."  
  
"Awfully quiet in there, though…" Brian commented.  
  
"Oh, shut up, you wimp!" Alex said. "C'mon, let's go!" She lead everyone through the doorway and stopped about halfway into the room.  
  
"What is it, Alex?" Brian asked. He followed her gaze past Adrienne, Eighteen, Goten, and Darrin and all the way to the other side of the room.  
  
"It… can't be…" Jamie whispered.  
  
"Mom…?!" Brian asked.  
  
"I can't believe it…" Leah said. Chloe smiled at them all.  
  
"I know it's a bit of a shock," she said. "It's new to me, too."  
  
"But… Mom!" Brian ran to her and hugged her. "I can't believe you're alive! After all this time, you're back!"  
  
"I know, Brian, I know," she said softly.  
  
"I just can't believe it…!" he said shakily. "You don't know how much I missed you!"  
  
"I have an idea," she said with a smile. Brian stood back and looked at her.  
  
"You look just like how I remember…" Chloe smiled.  
  
"I hope that's a good thing." By now, the rest of the group had crowded around. Chloe smiled at them all. "It's good to see you, all of you." Her eyes met with her daughter's. "Especially you, Ri."  
  
"Mom…" she said softly.  
  
"Just look how much you've grown! You're as tall as I am!" Rienna smiled. "You know, I've been watching you." Rienna's eyes widened a little.  
  
"You… have?" Chloe nodded.  
  
"And I'm happy to say that I'm proud of you," she said. "You've handled yourself well, even without me or your father there." Rienna blushed a little bit at this. "And you know what else?"  
  
"What?" Chloe glanced at Aedan.  
  
"You chose your friends wisely, too." Aedan blushed slightly, and Rienna smiled.  
  
"Thanks, Mom." Rienna embraced her, suddenly feeling compelled to do so by some unknown force. "I love you so much."  
  
"I love you more," Chloe answered.  
  
"But I don't get it," Chi-chi said suddenly.  
  
"Get what, Chi-Chi?"  
  
"How you're… alive." Chloe smiled.  
  
"Shenron takes things very generally," Trunks said with a grin.  
  
"'Everyone Aaron's killed' apparently spans quite a bit of time," Goten said.  
  
"Aren't we glad it does?" Adrienne said with a smile. She hugged her sister-in-law. "Welcome back, Chloe."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Well, what are we standing around for?" Chi-Chi said suddenly. "Now we *really* have a reason to celebrate!"  
  
"Yeah!" Leah agreed. "We have to tell the others!"  
  
"C'mon, guys!" Jamie cheered. The twins ran off down the hall, followed by Krystal and the others.  
  
"Hey, Leah, wait for me!" Darrin called.  
  
"Oh no, you don't!" Goten said. "I'm not through with you yet!" Darrin groaned.  
  
"Oh, Goten, let him go!" Adrienne said. "It's not like he's done anything wrong!"   
  
"Nothing wrong my-"  
  
"Goten." Goten muttered something under his breath and waved Darrin away. The grateful young Saiyan smiled appreciatively at her and ran off to catch them.  
  
"Well, I'm not the only one with a would-be son-in-law running around," Trunks said with a grin.  
  
"S-s-son-in-law!?" Goten exclaimed. The thought hit him like a speeding Capsule-copter and he nearly fainted on the spot.  
  
"Easy, there, Goten," Adrienne said warily. Chi-Chi rubbed her hands together suspiciously.  
  
"Son-in-law…" she said to herself. "This is perfect!" She grinned. "I'll be a great-grandmother any day now!" Adrienne and Goten groaned.  
  
"Chi-Chi/Mom!"  
  
"Wait a minute, Trunks," Chloe said suddenly. "What do you mean? We have a 'would-be son-in-law' running around?" Trunks sweat-dropped.  
  
"Oh, I know who you're talking about, now!" Adrienne said suddenly. She grinned at Trunks, who spit his tongue out at her in response.  
  
"Oh yeah! That Aedan boy, right?" Eighteen asked. Trunks' face went pale and he tried to signal Eighteen to shut up, but I guess she didn't get it. Goten tried to hold back a snicker. "The one with a pierced ear and that adorable little boy for a brother?"  
  
"Who??" Chloe asked. "You mean that boy that was just in here?!" She set a piercing glare on Trunks. He gulped and laughed.  
  
"Erm… it's a long story…? Heheh…" *Oh boy…*  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Grandpa!" Goku looked up to find that the grandkids were running towards him. Darrin was following, and they all appeared to be extremely happy about something.  
  
"Leah, Jamie! Boy, what's got you all worked up?" Goku asked.  
  
"There's someone we want you to meet!" Leah said excitedly.  
  
"Again!" Jamie added, taking Goku's hand. Together, he pulled his grandfather into the other living room and ran off to find some more people to tell.  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"EVERYONE TO THE LIVING ROOM NOW!" Brian yelled as he ran by the kitchen where Videl, Jessica, Bridgett, and Marron were cooking. Ruben was 'overseeing' the project (which consisted mainly of sneaking a taste every time one of them turned their back) and was hanging out behind his wife, peering over her shoulder to see what she was up to. All of them looked up as Brian appeared and reappeared through the door frame.  
  
"What?" Videl asked.  
  
"THE *OTHER* LIVING ROOM!" Aedan yelled, running by after Brian. Rienna popped her head in the doorway.  
  
"Hi guys!"  
  
"Hi, Rienna," Jessica said cheerfully. "What's this all about?"  
  
"We're gathering everyone in the living room for a meeting!" she told them. Aedan jogged back into view.  
  
"And we mean that literally," he added with a grin.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Never mind," Rienna said, shaking her head. "Just put that stuff on hold and come on for a minute." Marron shrugged.  
  
"These need to cook more anyway," she said, gesturing to a pot on the stove. She waved to the rest of them. "C'mon, let's go see what's up."  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Heya, Grandpa!" Vegeta slammed the lid back on the shoebox he was looking through and looked up at Brian, Aedan, and Rienna.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked sharply.  
  
"We want you to meet someone," Rienna explained.  
  
"If it's that fool boy's family," Vegeta said, glaring at Aedan, "then I'm not interested." Rienna frowned and put her hands on her hips.  
  
"Grandpa!" Aedan glared at Vegeta and clenched his fists. Vegeta smirked at him.  
  
"You want to fight me, shrimp?"  
  
"Shrimp!?" Aedan narrowed his eyes and started to roll up one of his sleeves. "Maybe I do!"  
  
"No, you don't," Rienna said, giving them both a stern look. She put her hand on Aedan's arm, and that seemed to calm him a bit.  
  
"Tch," Vegeta said, crossing his arms. "Fine. I would have driven him into the ground anyway."  
  
"Grandpa!!"   
  
"Ok, that's it, you old geezer-"  
  
"Old geezer!?" Vegeta's eyes flashed red. "Do you know who you're dealing with?!"  
  
"HEY!" Rienna finally shouted. "Enough is enough! I can't take it anymore!" She turned to Vegeta. "Fine! If you don't want to come meet Mom, then FINE! C'mon, Aedan, let's find my grandma!" She turned on her heel and stormed off down the hallway. Vegeta blinked after her.  
  
"'Meet Mom'?" he repeated. "What in Kami's name is she talking about?! Chloe's dead!"  
  
"Not anymore," Brian said. Vegeta's face lit up with anticipation and realization. "But if you don't want to come…" Suddenly, a great gust of wind blew his hair in his face, and when he turned around, Vegeta was gone. Brian smiled. "Cool."  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
Vegeta couldn't hold back his joy as he flew down the halls in a blur. The brats would *not* joke around with something on this much importance and seriousness. He flew past everyone in the hallways, flew past the kitchen, past the dining room, past all of them, beaming with happiness. He didn't care if anyone saw him. It didn't matter- Chloe was back!   
  
After what seemed like forever (though he'd only been flying for a few seconds), Vegeta reached the alternate living room. He touched down outside the doorway without a sound and tried to calm himself. Then he shrugged. He'd probably do something drastic inside anyway.  
  
Vegeta walked into the living room casually.  
  
"Oh, hi, Dad!" Trunks said, greeting his father. "Guess what!"  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
"Chloe's back," Vegeta said dully. He looked at Trunks with a very jaded expression. Trunks blinked.  
  
"You're not excited?" Vegeta laughed and looked past his son to his daughter-in-law.  
  
"Excited?" he asked. "Excited?? Of course I'm not excited!" Vegeta said with a sneer. Trunks glared at him intensely and was about to go on a furious tirade when Vegeta smiled. Genuinely smiled. "I'm not excited," he repeated. "I'm absolutely *thrilled*!" The outburst died on his lips. Before even Vegeta knew what was going on, he had wrapped his arms around Chloe's shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug. "You don't know how happy I am to see you!" Chloe blinked a few times.  
  
"I'm happy to see you, too, Vegeta," she said slowly. Trunks stared at the two of them in astonishment.  
  
"I prayed to Dende every day that you'd come back!" Vegeta continued, not seeming to notice (or care about) the confused look on his son's face. He stepped back and instead smiled at Chloe. "Trunks missed you so much! In all honesty, I thought he'd go mad!"  
  
"HEY!" Trunks exclaimed. "Just what do you mean by-"  
  
"Not to mention the rest of the family. We were devastated!" Chloe smiled.  
  
"Well, good to know I'm loved," she said.  
  
"LOVED!?" Vegeta exclaimed. "Even *I* missed you!" With that, Vegeta glanced around the room. "Which, by the way…" He suddenly turned back into his old self and glared at Trunks. "If either of you tell *anyone* about this, you're *dead*." Chloe laughed.  
  
"Don't worry, Vegeta, you're secret's safe with me. Right, Trunks?"  
  
"Yeah, you maybe," he answered with a grin.  
  
"Trunks…!"  
  
"Joking, joking! Jeez!" Vegeta muttered something under his breath about "ungrateful children" and glared at him.  
  
"Vegeta?"  
  
"Hm?" Vegeta turned to look at her. Chloe had her face tilted down and didn't look him in the face.  
  
"…Thanks," she said finally. Her voice was shaky, liked she was crying. Vegeta smiled and put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"It's ok, Chloe," he said softly. "And you're welcome." He lifted her chin with his finger and she stared up at him. "Now I don't want you to shed any more tears. Tears are for sad times, not welcome home parties." Chloe smiled and nodded. She suddenly threw her arms around his neck.  
  
"Thank you, Vegeta," she said softly. She stood back and smiled at him. "You have a good heart, even if you don't show it half the time." Vegeta smirked.  
  
"Yeah, maybe so," he said. "But remember," he said, with an added look of authority to Trunks, "DEAD." Chloe laughed and nodded.  
  
"Gotcha."  
  
*-*--*-*--*-*  
  
HA! DONE! FINALLY DONE!!! *hops around like mad* Whoo hoo!! I'm gonna have another chapter (like an Epilogue type thing) that you guys can read later, if you want to continue the story. Co-written by Autumn Nicole, too. So it'll be good. At least, I hope so. ...Anyway, thanks to my loyal reviewers, Princess of all Vegetables (and Sarah and Jared ^^;) and Autumn Nicole! Couldn't do it without you guys! ^___^ 


	12. Halloweenies

Syndrome

DISCLAIMER: I do *_not_* own DBZ (Hee hee…. _Yet_… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!

. : : Chapter 12 : Halloweenies : : .

"Trunks, Trunks, do we have enough candy?" Chloe bustled about the kitchen in a frenzy, trying to prepare for the onslaught of trick-or-treaters yet to come. She was dressed as a lawyer this year (since she couldn't think of anything else) and had her hair pinned back in a neat bun. She was wearing a business dress and had a pair of fake glasses perched low on her nose. Her "briefcase" was on the table in the dining room. "Oh my gosh, the first kid!!" she screamed suddenly, pointing out the window at… nothing.

"Calm down, Chloe, you're over-reacting," Trunks said. The pretend fireman put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her. "Just calm down. Everything's fine."

"But I don't know if we have enough candy!" she moaned. "What if there's been an unforeseen elevation in the amount of trick-or-treaters this year?"

"Just chill, Chloe, we've got enough. I hope," he added, more to himself than anyone else.

"Trunks Briefs, did you forget to pick up some more like I asked you to!?"

"…No," Trunks said finally. Suddenly the doorbell rang, interrupting Chloe's angry fit before it had started.

"THEY'RE HERE!" she shrieked.

"Nope, just us," Goten said as he walked through the doorway. He was wearing a cowboy outfit, complete with spurs and all. There was a badge on his chest as well- obviously a country-western sheriff. Trunks smiled.

"Hiya, Goten! Nice outfit."

"Yeah, you, too," Goten said with a sneer.

"Hey!" Adrienne laughed.

"C'mon, guys. Remember, it's Halloween!" Adrienne was dressed as a jester this year.

"Yeah, so?" Trunks subconsciously grabbed a piece of candy from the bowl by the door and was about to pop it in his mouth when Chloe slapped his hand. "Ow! Hey!"

"No eating the candy!" she snapped. "We need as much as we can get for the children!" Trunks sighed.

"Don't worry, Chloe, I brought some just in case," Adrienne said with a smile. Chloe breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank goodness! I thought for sure we'd run out," she said with a glare at Trunks.

"Hey, what'd I do??" Chloe sighed in exasperation.

"Men!" she muttered. "Here, I'll take the candy," she said, taking the bag from Adrienne. "Bulma, Chi-Chi, and Goku are all in the living room, finishing the decorations."

"Where's Dad?" Adrienne asked. Chloe and Trunks shrugged.

"Not sure," Trunks replied. "Disappeared about fifteen minutes ago."

"Wonder where he went…" Adrienne said thoughtfully. Trunks shrugged.

"You know Dad."

"BOO!"

"AAAAAAAAH!" The four of them whirled around and ran into the living room upon hearing Goku scream. "Jeez, Vegeta, don't *_do* that!" he said angrily. Vegeta, meanwhile, was laughing his head off._

"You should have seen the look on your face!" he exclaimed, pointing at his slightly ticked-off rival. "It was *_hilarious*! Kami, I love Halloween!" Goku put his hands on his hips._

"It wasn't funny to me," he mumbled.

"Hey, Dad," Goten said cheerfully. "Cool costume." Goku looked down at his classic wizard's robes, complete with hat, staff, and beard.

"Oh, thanks, Goten!" Bulma the witch put down her bag of orange balloons and hugged her daughter and son-in-law.

"Good to see you," she said. "Nice outfits." Bulma tapped one of the bells on Adrienne's hat. "Cute."

"Yeah, that's a cute idea!" Chi-Chi the nurse said sweetly.

"Erm, thanks," Adrienne said.

"Personally, I like Dad's," Trunks said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "Too bad I didn't think of it." Vegeta was wearing a long white trench coat with black shoes and pants underneath. A pair of green-tinted goggles sat perched in his white-streaked hair, and instead of his usual white gloves, he was wearing black ones.

"You wouldn't look as good," Vegeta said haughtily. "Mad scientist just isn't you."

"Actually, I agree," Chloe said. "I like your hair the way it is." She ran her fingers through his hair lovingly. Trunks blushed and jerked away.

"Chloe!"

"What?" Trunks growled.

"Women," he muttered. Goten snickered, causing his mother to hit him in the back of the head.

"Ow!"

"You're lucky I left my frying pan at home, Son Goten!" she shouted.

"No kidding," Goku said. Chi-Chi glared at him. "What?! What'd I say??" Before Chi-Chi could answer, the doorbell rang again.

"Trick-or-treaters!" Chloe shrieked. She ran to the doorway before anyone could stop her. She picked up the bowl of candy, straightened her hair, and opened the door. "Oh, Rienna, Aedan! Hi! Come on in!" Aedan, who was dressed as a cop, came in the doorway first.

"Hi, Chloe," he said, giving her a hug. "Nice decorations. Have you guys rearranged the furniture?"

"Yeah, a little," she answered. "But enough about that. Where're my babies?" she asked in a super-sweet tone.

"Right here, Grandma," Rienna said with a laugh. She was holding a little girl about a year-old in her arms. She had Rienna's purple hair, and her father's green eyes: this year she was a panda. Chloe took the smiling little girl and hugged her.

"How's Grandma's only granddaughter?" she asked her. The baby laughed and batted at Chloe's glasses.

"Sierra's fine," Aedan said with a laugh. "Lively as ever, that's for sure."

"If not more," Rienna said with a sigh.

"Grandma, Grandma!" Chloe looked down at a little boy with jet-black hair and bright blue eyes. He was dressed as his favorite Disney character- Woody from Toy Story. "Happy Halloween!" he said with a grin.

"Happy Halloween, Matt," Chloe said with a smile. A shuffling noise behind them caught everyone's attention. Suddenly, Matt left his grandmother and ran into the waiting arms of Trunks.

"Grandpa!!" he squealed. Trunks laughed and picked him up.

"Heya, kiddo!" he said. "Nice outfit. Buzz, right?" he asked, with a wink at Chloe.

"No, Grandpa!" Matt said, a bit putout that his Grandfather didn't know who he was. "I'm Woody, not that stupid space ranger!"

"Oh, I see," Trunks said. "Sorry, my mistake."

"That's ok, you'll get it eventually," Matt said with a smile. Trunks laughed.

"Let's hope so."

"Hi, Matt," Chi-Chi said suddenly.

"Hi, Miss Chi-Chi!" Matt said politely. He was really fond of Chi-Chi, and thought of her as a third grandmother. "Hi, Mr. Goku!"

"Hey, Matt!" Goku said with a grin. "Nice hat."

"Thanks!"

"Well, look, you match me!" Goten said. "I'm a sheriff, too!"

"Hey, cool, Uncle Goten!" Sure, Goten was his great-uncle. But did he care? Nah. "And Aunt Adrienne!" His grin grew when he saw Vegeta and Bulma. "Wow! Great-Grandpa and Grandma are here too! Awesome!" He hopped out of Trunks' arms and ran to Vegeta, hugging his legs. Vegeta smiled.

"Hi."

"That's a neat costume, Grandpa," Matt told him. "I like the funny glasses."

"Those are goggles, Matt," Aedan said.

"Cool! Can I get some?" Rienna laughed.

"Maybe later." Matt sighed.

"Ok…"

"Hey, why don't you help us with the decorations?" Bulma asked. "You can help me blow up balloons!"

"Ok!" Matt said. Taking her hand, the two of them went back to the living room. Goku followed.

"So, how's my girl?" Trunks asked, taking Sierra from his wife and holding her up in the air. Sierra giggled and clapped her hands together. "Good," he said with a smile.

"Good to see you, Trunks," Aedan said.

"Yeah, you too, Aedan."

"It's good to see both of you," Chloe said, hugging her daughter.

"Nice outfit, Mom," Rienna said. "I like your hair that way."

"Oh, thank you!" Chloe said. "Which, by the way… where's *_your_* costume?"

"Oh, uh, it's right here!" Rienna said, holding up a plastic bag.

"Why aren't you wearing it?"

"Uh… because… uh… I didn't want to… get cold! Yeah, that's it!" she said with a laugh. "Heard it's gonna drop tonight."

"Oh… Well, what are you?"

"I'm… uh… it's a surprise!" she explained. Aedan laughed.

"What?" Chloe asked. "Do you know something I don't?"

"Suppose so," Aedan said with a shrug.

"Oh, and, we, uh, brought candy!" Rienna said, hoping for a change of subject.

"Oh, good, more candy!" Chloe said, clapping her hands together in delight. "We can always use more candy, right, Trunks?" Trunks was busy playing airplane with his granddaughter.

"Huh?"

"…Nothing, Trunks," Chloe said with a sigh. Just then, the doorbell rang again. "Trick-or-treaters!" Chloe and Rienna both reached the door at the same time. Chloe opened it and gasped.

"Trick-or-Treat!" two (adult) male voices chorused. Standing in the doorway were two very large (and very… demented) beavers.

"Hi, Mom!" said the 'blonde' one. "It's me, Brian!"

"Brian?" Chloe asked. "Then that must be… Jamie?"

"Hi, Aunt Chloe!" Jamie answered with a grin (though you couldn't see it).

"…What are you?" Chloe asked finally. Brian and Jamie gasped.

"Mom, you don't *_know*??"_

"I'm ashamed to call you my aunt!" Jamie cried (though he was only joking).

"…I'm sorry, should I know why my son and my nephew, who are grown up and have families of their own, are dressed as two large cartoon *_beavers_*??"

"…Oh, I get it now!" Rienna exclaimed suddenly. She laughed. "I'm surprised Alex and Krystal let you get away with it!"

"We couldn't talk them out of it," two female voices said dully.

"Oh, sorry, girls!" Chloe exclaimed. "Here, come on in!"

"Thanks," Krystal answered from behind the big brown beaver that was her husband. In filed two beavers, a French maid (Krystal) carrying a little red dinosaur, an Anastasia look-alike (Alex), a lion, a black-belt, and Heero Yuy.

"Wow, the whole crew!" Goten exclaimed. Trunks jumped when he saw the dinosaur. He sighed with relief when it finally hit him that it was NOT Deho.

"What a cute outfit!" Chloe exclaimed. "It looks just like your little dinosaur, Adrienne!"

"Yeah, it does look like Deho, doesn't it, Trunks?" Trunks muttered something under his breath and didn't respond.

"Is that Amanda under there, then?" Rienna asked.

"Sure is," Krystal said. She pulled back the dinosaur's hood to reveal a little girl with brown hair. She was about a year old.

"Hi, Amanda," Rienna said, playing with her cousin's baby. "Aw, aren't you so sweet?"

"Grrrrrrr!!" the lion growled, patting its paws at Aedan's legs. "I'm gonna eat you!"

"Oh no! Don't eat me, Mr. Lion!" Aedan exclaimed. "I have a wife and two children!"

"Uncle Aedan, it's me, Brandon!" the lion exclaimed, suddenly, taking off its head. Inside the lion suit was a little boy with lavender hair.

"Hey, you're right! You *_are* Brandon!"_

"Yeah, who'd you think I was?" he asked haughtily. Alex shot her son a look.

"Brandon, watch your mouth."

"Sorry, Mommy," he said.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, like my costume?" the black-belt asked, hopping around Goten legs. The little boy had brown hair, like his sister.

"Sure do, John," Goten said with a smile. "Looks good on you." Suddenly, Trunks felt something like cold metal poking around inside his ear. He jumped, and a little high-pitched giggle erupted from behind him.

"Devin!" Alex said, her hands on her hips. "What have I told you about that gun?" The little brown-haired boy shuffled his feet.

"Sorry, Grandpa," Devin said slowly.

"That's ok, Squirt," Trunks said, ruffling his hair. Devin giggled again and hopped off the table. The little Heero Yuy-worshiper walked over to his mother.

"I still get candy, right?" he asked in his most pathetic sounding voice. Alex smiled.

"Of course." Devin grinned. "But don't let me catch you doing that again!" Devin nodded.

"Yes, Mommy." Goku chose that moment to walk into the room. He nearly screamed when he saw the two gigantic beavers standing before him.

"What are you guys?!" he exclaimed. Jamie and Brian looked at each other.

"Another un-believer," Brian said.

"I can't believe it," Jamie agreed. Trunks laughed.

"Don't be so shocked, guys. Not everybody likes that show."

"HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE IT?!" they demanded together.

"So, what are you, already?" Chloe asked impatiently. Brian pointed to himself.

"I'm Norbert…" Jamie pointed to himself as well.

"And I'm Dag…"

"And we're the… ANGRY BEAVERS!" Everyone stood silent for a moment.

"…the what?" Goku asked.

"The Angry Beavers! Jeez, don't you guys watch TV?!" Brian exclaimed.

"Uh… no, not much." Brian rolled his eyes.

"Poor deprived soul…" Jamie said sadly.

"Oh, for goodness sake, it's a cartoon!" Krystal exclaimed. "Give it a rest!"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were worshipping the darn things!" Alex shouted. Sierra, now in her father's arms, began to cry.

"Oh, Sierra, don't cry," Aedan moaned. Rienna took her from him and started to bounce her.

"Hey, Ri, where's your costume?" Brian asked suddenly.

"It's… uh… in the bag."

"Why aren't you wearing it?"

"'Cause I want it to be a surprise!" Rienna snapped. "Now leave me alone so I can get my baby to sleep!"

"Ok, ok, jeez! Sorry for wondering why my sister is trying to destroy the very heart and soul  of Halloween."

"Now see here, Brian-"

"Ok, ok, enough, you two," Chloe said. "Here, Ri, let me take her." Rienna nodded and handed her daughter over. Immediately, the little girl stopped crying and looked up at her grandmother with a confused expression on her face.

"Well isn't that something?" Goku asked with a laugh.

"Hey, Chloe, maybe we should move in with you," Aedan said with a grin.

"Oh, goodness no, Aedan!" Chloe exclaimed. "No offense, but it's been rather quiet since Rienna and Brian moved out. I wouldn't trade it for anything!"

"Not even Sierra, your *_only* granddaughter- with her deep blue eyes and silky purple hair and innocent sweet smile- whom you love with all your heart and would steal from her mother in an instant?" Rienna asked. Chloe smiled and looked at Sierra, who was now laughing and batting at her glasses again._

"Well… I'd have to think about it," she said finally. She tickled Sierra's stomach, causing the infant to giggle. Right on cue, the doorbell rang for about the fifth time that evening. "Oh, that must be the trick-or-treaters! Trunks, grab the candy and answer the door!"

"What? Me? No, hostess is *_your* job," Trunks answered defiantly. Chloe shot him a look that made him shudder. "Ok, ok!" The doorbell rang again as he grabbed the candy bowl and opened the door. "Uh… can I help you?" An important looking young man in a black suit and tie (with sunglasses, too) was standing in the doorway. He flashed a badge and stepped into the doorway._

"FBI, Mr. Briefs. We received a call saying there were two suspicious and extremely *_large_* beavers prowling the area. They were said to have entered the premises." Jamie put his hands on his hips.

"Ok, Darrin, cut it out." Darrin laughed and propped his glasses on his head.

"How long did it take you?"

"Not long." 

"Had me fooled," Trunks said with a sheepish grin. Jamie peered past his brother-in-law and out the door.

"Is Leah here?" he asked.

"Sure am!" Leah said. She walked into the foyer, followed by their two kids, Rick (2) and Autumn (4). Leah was dressed as a flamenco dancer, and the children were dressed as a Chinese doll- and Saiyaman??

"That's a cute outfit, Autumn," Rienna said.

"Thanks, Aunt Rienna," she said with a smile. "Mommy helped me."

"I bet she did!" Rienna answered.

"I am the Great Saiyaman!!" Rick yelled suddenly, jumping in front of his parents and landing in a (cute) battle pose. Darrin laughed.

"Not quite, squirt, but ok," he said.

"He insisted on being Saiyaman," Leah explained. "He's obsessed with him. Every other word is 'Saiyaman' these days."

"Saiyaman was one of his first words," Darrin said with a sigh.

"You let him watch too much TV, Leah," Aedan told her. Leah sighed and nodded.

"One episode is one too many," Darrin agreed.

"Saiyaman! Saiyaman!" Cute little black-haired Rick hopped around the group of adults standing there. "Saiyaman!"

"Calm down, Rick," Leah told him. Rick was only two, but he knew all of Saiyaman's lines by heart. "It's not on, yet." She turned to Trunks and Chloe. "You don't mind if we let him watch it, do you?" Chloe shook her head.

"Not at all! Go right ahead!"

"Yeah," Trunks said with a sneer, "anything to keep him quiet." Chloe elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow! I was just kidding!" He crossed his arms. "Fine. I'll go get Goten," he said huffily. He stormed off into the living room. "Yo, Goten!" Chloe stared after him angrily.

"Same as ever, I see," Darrin said, crossing his arms and leaning against the door.

"Yeah, you might could say that," Chloe said with a sigh.

Soon, Krillin and his family (including Marron's own), and Bra and her family, along with Gohan and his line had reached the house as well. The costumes went as follows:

Krillin- red M&M

Eighteen- sorceress

Marron- Catwoman

Justin (her husband)- butler

Bridgett (15)- princess

Bra- a "bunny"

Chris (her husband)- Dracula

Melissa (17)- ballerina

Ashley (15)- princess ("Hey, we have the same costume!" "Cool!")

Gohan- knight

Videl- Chinese doll 

Pan- pirate (complete with eye patch)

Jason (her husband)- the Flash

Josh (16)- skeleton

Vegeta had disappeared quite some time ago, and Goku always had someone walk ahead of him around corners because of it. But eventually, our loveable old Saiyan let his guard down. Vegeta never showed up to scare him.

"BOO!" …Until now.

"VEGETA! DON'T DO THAT!" Goku screeched.

"But it's so much fun!" Vegeta exclaimed. He stopped for a minute. "Wait a minute… since when do I listen to you?!"

"Uh…" Goku nodded. "Good point." Goku shrugged. "So where have you been all this time?"

"Around," Vegeta said, eyeing Goku carefully. "What's it to you?"

"Oh, just wondering, since you keep disappearing," Goku said with a shrug.

"Tch." Vegeta crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Whatever."

"Fine, suit yourself," Goku said.

"I intend to, Kakarott," Vegeta muttered.

"What?"

"NOTHING! Now leave me alone!"

"Fine, Vegeta. Have it your way." Goku walked away down the hall.

"Oh, wait, Kakarott!" Vegeta called.

"Yeah?" Goku turned around and found himself face-to-face with a huge, hairy green monster.

"BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!!" Goku screamed and ran off down the hall.

"MOOOOOOOOONNNNNNSTEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!" Vegeta chuckled and put away his mask.

"Kami, I love Halloween."

Soon, those candy-hoarding trick-or-treaters were arriving, expecting something sweet in return for the words, "Trick or treat!" , and always hoping that someone would be kind enough to give them an extra piece or two. …They came to the right house.

Chloe was generous enough with the candy, and soon sent Trunks to the "storeroom" (AKA kitchen cabinet) for another capsule full (courtesy of Bulma).

"Why do I have to do all the work?" Trunks muttered to himself as he begrudgingly went to fetch more candy. "If it's not one thing, it's another! Can't even rest on a holiday!" So engrossed in his own thoughts, Trunks wasn't looking where he was going, and ran into the doorframe leading to the kitchen. "Ouch!" Trunks muttered something under his breath and rubbed his forehead, then continued into the kitchen. There he found Chi-Chi, filling a baby bottle with water.

"Oh, hi, Trunks!" she said cheerfully. "What are you up to?"

"Chloe sent me for candy. Supplies are running low on the front," he said dully.

"Ah," Chi-Chi said. She nodded. "Halloween's busy down here."

"Well, yeah, I guess you wouldn't get many trick-or-treaters on a mountain," Trunks said. He knelt down and fished through one of the cabinets. "Why, what are you doing?"

"Baby-sitting," she said. Her voice changed from her normal sweet tone to a dreamier, smooth one. "It's just like my boys are little again, except they're not all boys." She thought for a minute. "And there's more than one." Trunks laughed and stood up, having found his quarry.

"Well, if you need any help, let somebody know. We'll find somebody to take over."

"Oh, alright, Trunks," Chi-Chi said sweetly. "I don't think I'll need it, but thank you for the offer!"

"No problem, Chi-Chi," he answered. "Well, gotta go. Chloe's waiting."

"Trunks, did you find that candy yet??" Trunks sighed.

"See what I mean?"

"That's alright, dear, we've all been there at some point." Trunks smiled.

"Yeah, guess so. See ya, Chi-Chi!" He waved and walked out the door.

"Found the candy, Chloe!" Trunks called.

"Oh, good!" she said. Chloe snatched it from him and set it on the table after pushing the button. It soon popped open and spilled out several pounds of candy. "Wow, this should last us a while!" Trunks crossed his arms.

"What, no thank you?"

"Well, I had to threaten you to get you to do it in the first place!" she exclaimed. She walked over and hugged him. "But thanks anyway." Trunks smiled.

"You're welcome." Someone cleared their throat behind them. They both turned around and found themselves faced by a queen, Buzz Lightyear, and Emperor Zurg.

"Jessie, you made it!" Chloe exclaimed. She threw her arms around her friend and squeezed her.

"Sure we did, Chloe! Wouldn't miss it!"

"Good to see you," Trunks said. "Weren't sure if you were gonna show up or not."

"Well, we thought about it, and decided we didn't have anything better to do," Ruben said with a laugh.

"Oh, that's how it is, is it? We're a last resort, are we?"

"Oh, c'mon, Trunks, you know we didn't mean that!" Buzz Lightyear exclaimed.

"I know, Jeremy," Trunks said with a wink. "I'm not stupid."

"Not as stupid as you look, anyway," Chloe said. Trunks frowned.

"Hey!"

"Hey, Mom, do you have that candy ye-" Rienna stopped short when she entered the room. "Jessica, Ruben, Jeremy! You made it!" she cried happily.

"Of course, dear!" Jessica answered. She hugged her daughter-in-law and smiled. "Couldn't pass up an opportunity to see you!" After another round of hugs, Rienna motioned for them to follow her.

"C'mon, Aedan's playing with the kids in the living room," she said.

"Cool!" Jeremy exclaimed. "But Rienna, where's your costume?"

"Hey, yeah," Ruben said. "Or are you going for the casual teen look this year?" Rienna shook her head.

"No, it's a, uh, surprise! I'm waiting for the party to start! Wouldn't want something to happen to it."

"Oh, good idea," Jessica said. She shrugged. "Wish I'd thought of that. Oh well!" she said. "That's ok. Now take me to my grandkids!"

"More trick-or-treaters!" Chi-Chi called. "You ready, Goku?"

"Sure!" Goku hopped off the couch where he'd been watching the kids with Jessica and grabbed the bowl of candy by the door. Immediately, the doorbell rang. "Hi, kids!" he said happily.

"Trick-or-treat!" they chorused. They all held up their bags expectantly.

"Wow, what a bunch of neat costumes!" Goku exclaimed. He reached into the bowl and dished out the candy. "Before you go, you want to see some magic? Ol' Goku the Wizard's got a few tricks up his sleeve!" The kids looked at each other and shrugged. What could it hurt?

"Sure," said the oldest.

"Cool! Ok, now stand back," he said. "Hocus pocus!" A small ball of light floated in the wizard's hand. The children oohed and ahhed at the pretty ball of gold. "Anyone want to hold it?"

"Ooh, ooh, me!"

"No, me!"

"Me first! I'm the smallest!"

"But I'm the oldest!"

"Ok, ok, calm down, everybody can hold it!" Goku exclaimed. "Tell you what…" Chi-Chi chuckled to herself. That Goku!

"Hey, Chi-Chi?" Rienna asked as she walked into the room.

"Hm?"

"You haven't seen my costume, have you?" Chi-Chi shook her head.

"No. Well, actually, come to think of it, I think Aedan moved it into the closet with your coat so your mother and Bulma could finish decorating the dining room," she replied.

"Ok, thanks!"

"Why, are you going to go change?"

"Um… yeah!" Rienna laughed. "Sure. The party's gonna start soon anyway." She walked briskly out the door. Chi-Chi shook her head.

"Wonder what all the fuss is about…"

"Hi, Mom," Aedan said as he sat down next to her in the living room.

"Oh, hi Aedan!" Jessica said cheerfully. "How's my oldest son doing?"

"Huh? Oh, great," he answered with a smile. "Say, haven't seen Ri, have you?"

"Well, no, but I heard she went to change upstairs." Aedan laughed. "What's so funny?"

"What? Oh, nothing," he said with a grin. "Nothing at all…" Aedan laughed again and shook his head, stood up, put his hands in his pockets, and walked out of the room, chuckling to himself.

"…" Jessica looked down at the kids playing tic-tac-toe on the floor. "I wonder…"

"There, that's the last one!" Chloe declared. She stepped back to marvel at her masterpiece. "I think it looks nice."

"It's perfect!" Bulma exclaimed. "The whole house is perfect!"

"It's just a bunch of balloons to me," Krillin said.

"But it's perfect! Look, there's an even number of orange and black, and they're in a completely symmetrical bunch-"

"Whatever you say, Chloe," he said. He didn't see what was so great about it. Sure, it looked nice, but perfect? Perfect was too strong a word for anything. Krillin shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to walk out the door. He stopped when he almost ran into Trunks. "Oh, hey-"

"Shhh!!" Trunks hissed. He pointed to something in his hand. Krillin grinned and nodded. Slowly, Trunks floated up to the ceiling above the two woman, took the string in his hand, and lowered the fake spider into their midst.

The two of them seemed to notice the spider at the same time, and shrieked in unison.

"SPIDER!" "EEEEEEEK!" Chloe took a step back, grabbed the daily newspaper, and started to swat it, and, at the same time, tried not to get too close.

"GET IT AWAY,GET IT AWAY!!" she screamed. Trunks dropped the string and let the spider fall to the ground, where Bulma took to stomping it.

"DIEDIEDIEDIEDIE!!!" she shouted. Together, the two of them beat the poor spider into pieces. Finally, Trunks couldn't contain himself any longer and burst into fits of laughter.

"Oh- my- GOSH, you- you should- should have- seen- your- your FACE!!" he cried. "Oh, my side! I'm gonna-  gonna split- in TWO!!" Chloe put her hands on her hips and glared daggers at her husband.

"I hope you *_do_* split in two, Trunks Briefs!!" she shouted. "At least then I won't have to put up with your childish pranks!"

"You are *_grounded_*, mister!" Bulma yelled.

"But Mom, I don't live in your house anymore!" Trunks protested. "You can't *_ground_* me!"

"No, but I can," Chloe said. "And 'you are grounded, mister!'"

"Way to go, Trunks," Krillin said with a sneer. Trunks chose to ignore him, and floated down to the ground.

"Aw, Chloe, I didn't mean anything by it!" he said. "C'mon, it's Halloween!"

"I don't *_care_* if it's Halloween, that was a dirty, immature-"

"Aw, Chloe!"

"STOP INTERRUPTING ME!!" Trunks closed his mouth and stared at her with his pitiful blue eyes. "And don't give me that look!!" Trunks pouted even more. "I'm warning you, Trunks!"

"Please please please please *_please* forgive me?" he asked in his sweetest, sappiest tone. Chloe looked at him, then Bulma (who was still seething), to Krillin, and back to Trunks. Her expression softened a little. "I'm really really *__really* sorry!"_

"Well…" She heard Bulma gasp beside her. "It *_is* Halloween…" Trunks kept up his pitiful look and nodded. "And it *_was_* kinda funny… Oh, alright! Just stop it with the face already!" Trunks grinned._

"This is why I love you!" He hugged her, kissed her cheek, and ran off. "Bye!"

"You guys seen Ri? She disappeared a while ago," Brian said. He popped a piece of candy into his mouth and threw the wrapper in the trash.

"Yeah, she went to go change," Aedan told them.

"Ah!"

"Speaking of whom," Krystal said, nodding to the stairs, "here she comes."

A fairy in a dusty red outfit and pale pink wings "fluttered" down the stairs. The whole outfit sparkled, even the cherry blossom in her hair. She reached the landing, and, looking both ways first, dashed off to the living room. Norbert the beaver stopped her on the way.

"Oh, Brian!" Rienna exclaimed. "Hi!"

"Nice outfit, Tinkerbell," he said. Rienna put her hands on her hips.

"See, I knew this would happen! I *_knew* it! I should have stayed home!"_

"Aw, c'mon, Ri, just having a little fun," Brian said. "Lighten up!"

"I think it's cute!" Krystal said. Alex nodded.

"Yeah! The red looks nice!"

"I think it's the funniest thing I've ever seen," Jamie said with a laugh  "But it looks nice." Rienna crossed her arms and shifted her weight to her right foot.

"I don't believe you."

"Aw, jeez, Ri, chill out!"

"I think she's a cute little fairy," Aedan said. His arms were crossed and he was leaning in the doorframe. There was a small smirk on his face. Rienna blushed a little and put her hands on her hips.

"You're impossible!" she declared. With that, Rienna stormed off into the living room to check on her children. Aedan laughed.

"Yeah. We're the perfect match," he muttered. Brian laughed.

"You're telling me."

"Oh, hiya, Rienna!" Jessica said cheerfully. "I like your costume!"

"Hn." Rienna crossed her arms and flopped down on the couch.

"What's wrong, dear?"

"Nothing."

"Mommy!" Matt ran up to her and plopped down in her lap. "Neato costume!" Rienna laughed.

"Thanks, Matt. You seem to be the only one who thinks so." Jessica cleared her throat. "Oh, and Grandma."

"Is that what this is all about?" Jessica asked.

"…Yeah, I guess so," Rienna admitted finally. "I knew Brian would be the one to say something! I knew it!"

"Aw, c'mon, Ri, I didn't mean it!" Rienna swiveled in her seat to face him. "Honest!"

"Yeah, right."

"No, really! Hey, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, ok?" Rienna sighed and nodded.

"I know…" She smiled. "Thanks, Brian."

"Sure."

"Hey, guys, the party's gonna start in a few minutes!" Trunks called into the living room. Suddenly, his head popped in the doorway. "So you might want to start- Oh, you changed!" Rienna blushed.

"Yeah…"

"Looks cute," Trunks said with a wink. Rienna frowned. "Anyway, might want to clean up the kids' toys, Chloe wants everybody in here for a while."

"Ok, thanks, Trunks," Jessica said. "Ok kids, time to clean up!" They all (well, the ones that could speak) whined. "No complaining! You heard what he said! Everybody'll be in here soon, and we have to make room!"

"Ok…" Slowly the children began to pick up their toys and put them away.

"Good job! You guys are regular little house-keepers!" Rienna laughed.

"I wouldn't count on it," Brian said.

Chloe cleared her throat. "Can I have everyone's attention?" The whole group didn't seem to hear her and continued chit-chatting. "Hello? Hey, listen up!"

"YO, SHUT UP, CHLOE'S TRYING TO TALK!" Everyone stopped talking and looked up at Trunks and Chloe.

"Thanks, Trunks," she said. Trunks just nodded in response. "Well, as you know, we're all gathered here for the Third Annual Z-Halloween Party!" A chorus of cheers and whistling followed. "Trunks and I were happy to host this year-" Chloe was interrupted by a quick round of applause. "Thanks. Anyway, we just wanted to tell you guys to have fun, and have a happy Halloween!" Another round of applause followed it. "Oh, and guys?" The applause died down with curiosity. "Take it easy on the candy. We all know what happened *_last_* time…" Several nods of approval and painful glances were exchanged, along with low murmuring and a few giggles. "Right… so, besides that, enjoy yourselves however you like!" Chloe looked at her husband. "That's everything, right?" Trunks shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess so." Chloe smiled and turned back to her audience.

"Ok, that's it! Let the party begin!" With a grin, Goku got up and punched the stereo's on-button (not literally), and the house filled with music.

"Hey, I know this song…" Brian said thoughtfully.

"Oh, shut up and dance with me!" Alex exclaimed. Brian sweat-dropped.

"Wait, but Alex! I can't dance!" Alex laughed and grabbed his hand.

"Then I'll teach you!" Brian groaned as his wife dragged him onto the floor.

*_I'm not getting out of this…_* Jamie laughed.

"Way to go, Brian!" he called.

"Shut up!" Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Jeremy walked up beside Leah and sat down next to her.

"Hiya, Leah!" he said cheerfully. "Long time no see!"

"Jeremy, hi!" Leah exclaimed. She hugged him. "I didn't know you were here! Glad you could make it!"

"Yeah, me too. I was pretty mad when I found out I'd missed the last two years'." Leah smiled.

"Yeah, I was, too!" She laughed.

"What?"

"Nothing, I just remember you as a kid," she said. Jeremy blushed.

"Oh." He cleared his throat. "Well, I, uh, just wanted to say hi! Oh, and nice costume! You look really nice!"

"Oh, thank you! That's so sweet!" Leah hugged him again. "See you later, then!"

"Y-yeah, see ya!" Jeremy stood up and quickly walked out of the room. Leah laughed. She often had that effect on guys. Darrin walked over and sat down where Jeremy had been.

"What's so funny?" he asked. Leah shook her head.

"Jeremy," she said. "He told me I looked nice, and I hugged him." Darrin stiffened. "I guess I embarrassed him; he ran off in a hurry." Darrin frowned.

"He's at it again, huh?" he asked sourly.

"At what again?" Leah thought for a minute. "Darrin, are you jealous?!" At first he didn't answer.

"…Maybe." Leah gasped. Then she laughed.

"You're jealous! Of a sixteen-year-old!" Darrin frowned and crossed his arms.

"I don't think it's funny," he said.

"Oh, but it is!" Leah protested. "You're jealous of Jeremy Kinamora, a kid we've known since he was six! You're, what, 17 years older than him?" Darrin blushed a little but didn't answer. "That's rich!" Leah finally calmed her giggles and hugged him. "Oh, Darrin, why didn't you say something?"

"Because I knew you'd do this," he answered.

"Aw, Darrin!" Leah wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "You don't have to be jealous of anybody, 'cause I'll always love…?"

"…Me." Leah nodded.

"Yes, you." She kissed his cheek again. "Always. Ok?"

"Ok…" Leah smiled.

"Good." She grinned and cocked her head at him. "Wanna dance?" Darrin smiled.

"Sure."

Brian had finally escaped the dance floor and was hanging out with Aedan, Rienna, and Trunks around the bar that stretched into the living room from the kitchen. "Jeez, I am *_never* doing that again," Brian said with a sigh._

"I think you did pretty well," Aedan said with a smirk.

"Yeah,? I don't see *_you* two out there!" Brian retorted._

"Nah, I don't dance," he answered. Brian crossed his arms.

"Well neither do *_I*!"_

"Well, I haven't *_asked* him to dance," Rienna told him._

"Aw, why not? Darrin and Leah are," Trunks pointed out. "We need *_all_* the cute couples on the floor!" Rienna growled at her father.

"Dad!"

"What?" he asked with a grin. Rienna chose to ignore him.

"Well, anyway, I don't want to, and if I did, Aedan wouldn't be able to stop me!" Aedan laughed.

"Yeah, right! Sure, Ri. It's *_you* that can't stop *_me_*!" he said. Aedan grinned. "You can't resist me!"_

"Don't flatter yourself," Rienna answered coolly. She took a sip of her soda can and stared at him. Aedan frowned.

"Hey!" Brian laughed.

"The irresistible has been resisted!" he chuckled. "What irony!" Aedan scoffed and ignored his brother-in-law.

"There you go, poetry," Trunks said. Rienna snorted into her drink. "Hey, you ok?" She laughed.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You know, I'm kinda thirsty, too," Aedan said. He snaked his arm around her shoulder in an attempt to snatch her soda, but she scooted it out of his reach.

"Nice try, Mr. Irresistible. Get your own soda." Aedan pouted.

"I don't know where they are."

"Go find them."

"Aw, Ri, that's harsh!" he said. "Can't you get me one? Please??" Rienna rolled her eyes.

"Alright, alright, if it'll stop your whining!" She stood up and left the room.

"Hey, bring me one too, will ya?" Trunks called. They heard her sigh in frustration and kick something across the floor. "…Never mind."

"I'll get it, Dad!" Brian said with sudden eagerness. He hopped out of his seat and ran after his sister. "Hey, Ri, wait for me!"

"Ri, Ri, I've got a plan!" Rienna unclenched her fists and turned around.

"What, Brian?" she snapped.

"I know how to get back at Aedan!" This definitely sparked her interest.

"…How?" Brian grinned.

"C'mon, I'll tell you."

"Here're your drinks!" Rienna said cheerfully. "Hey, where'd they go?"

"Oh, hey, you're back!" Aedan said. He and Trunks got up off the couch and took their seats at the bar again. Rienna handed them their cans and sat back to watch the fun. Brian followed her example and stood next to her, both a safe distance away from the bar. "Thanks, Ri!" Aedan said.

"You're welcome," she said sweetly.

"Yeah, thanks!" Trunks said. He lifted his glass in a toast. "To a happy Halloween!" They all lifted their cans.

"Happy Halloween!" they chorused. Then Aedan opened his can. …Nothing happened. Brian and Rienna's eyes widened, and their faces paled to the utmost extent. They looked at each other in horror, then back at Trunks, who was about to open his can.

"No, Dad, wait!"

"Dad, don't open that-" BOOM! The soda can exploded, sending the carbonated liquid everywhere- especially on Trunks. "…can." Trunks' eyes narrowed, and he slowly set the can (or what was left of it) on the counter and started to drum his fingers on the bar. The soda slid down his hat and dripped from the rim and onto the bar. He looked from one child to the other. As one person, the siblings pointed to each other with wide eyes. Trunks sighed.

"Ok… anyone care to explain this?"

"LOOK WHAT YOU DID, RI! I TOLD YOU NOT TO GIVE HIM THAT ONE! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MIXED THEM UP!"

"ME?! I GAVE THEM TO THEM JUST LIKE YOU TOLD ME! *_YOU* WERE THE ONE THAT SWITCHED THEM! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"_

"MY FAULT?! WHO'S IDEA WAS THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE!?"

"YOURS, YOU IDIOT!"

"SO WHAT?! IF YOU WEREN'T SO KEEN ON GETTING BACK AT *_YOUR_* HUSBAND, THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!"

"QUIET!" Trunks screeched. His children looked at him, then back at each other. "Now, one at a time, you're going to tell me what just happened."

"Well I was mad at Aedan and went to go get the drinks when Brian comes along and suggests we get back at him by making his soda explode on him but that moron switched the drinks so you got the rigged one and Daddy I'm so *_sorry_*!!" Rienna exclaimed all in one breath.

"Suck-up," Brian muttered.

"Wait, so you mean that was meant for me?" Aedan asked. Both Brian and Rienna nodded. "That's cruel, guys."

"We know, we're sorry," they chorused.

"Yeah, to both of you," Brian said, shooting his father a hopeful glance.

"Who's the suck-up now?" Rienna muttered.

"Shut up," Brian snapped.

"Hey, don't tell her to shut up!" Aedan exclaimed. "Only I can do that!" Rienna opened her mouth to say something, but Aedan stopped her. "Rienna, shut up." She gasped.

"But-"

"Hey, hey, hey, nobody tells anybody to shut up here except *_me_*." Trunks said. "So all three of you, shut up!" The three of them put their hands on their hips and glared at him. "And don't give me that look!"

At that point, Chloe came rushing into the room. 'Oh my gosh, what happened in here?! I heard an explosion while I was checking something upstairs and I came as soon as I could- and why are you dripping wet, Trunks?! Look, you're getting it all over my floor!" Trunks' eye began to twitch.

"I am wet because my children BOOBY-TRAPPED MY SODA!!" he screamed. With that, he stormed off to dry out his costume. Everyone stared after him as he stomped up the stairs, muttering incoherently. Chloe looked at her two children and sighed.

"Well, it wasn't *_my* fault," Brian said, crossing his arms. Rienna glared at him and slapped the back of his head. "Ow!"_

Soon, another swarm of trick-or-treaters appeared on the Briefs' lawn, and the Angry Beavers were assigned to door duty. Well, Brian had been (as punishment for the soda-can incident), and Jamie, being the loyal friend he is, decided to help him out. Besides that, Brian had one other comfort- Rienna had the next shift.

The doorbell rang for about the fiftieth time that night, and "Dag" AKA Jamie opened it. A little eight-year-old kid immediately tackled him.

"OHMYGOSHIT'SDAGICAN'TBELIEVEIT!" the little Batman squealed. "This must be my lucky day! Can I have your autograph, Mr. Dag? Huh, huh??" Jamie sat up and smiled.

"Uh, yeah, sure, kid…" he said. "Lemme get up first." Brian helped him up, and Jamie grabbed a pad and pencil from the desk beside the door. "What's your name?"

"Jamie!" Brian coughed and tried not to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Little Jamie asked.

"Nothing, we just, uh, know another Jamie," Brian explained.

"Oh, really?! Cool! Where is he? Is he here?!"

"Yeah, uh, he's… busy right now," Jamie said.

"Oh… ok!" Chibi Jamie smiled as "Dag" handed him his autograph. "Thanks, Mr. Dag!" He threw his arms around him.

"Uh… you're welcome." Little Batman ran out the door, clutching his precious piece of paper.

"Brian, Brian, I know where the Angry Beavers live!!" he shouted. Brian burst into laughter.

"Did he say Brian?!" he asked. Jamie ignored him.

"Hey, kid- Jamie! Don't you want your candy?" Little Jamie was already gone and walking down the sidewalk to the next house with "Robin." Jamie sighed. "Guess not… Oh well!" Jamie shrugged and tossed Brian a Kit-Kat. "Candy?"

Gohan looked down and almost fainted. He had seen that outfit before- the bright orange helmet, the red cape, the green shirt, the black spandex… But it had shrunken! Gohan rubbed his eyes. Maybe he was imagining things. He looked again. Still there.

"I am the Great Saiyaman!" the little chibi yelled. He giggled and ran off towards the door and ended up hitting the frame instead. "Ow!" Gohan sighed. Yep. He definitely wasn't imagining things.

"Hey, where'd you get the outfit?" Gohan asked him. The chibi stood up and pointed at Leah.

"Mommy!" he said. Gohan bent over and looked into his eyes.

"Rick?"

"UNCLE GO-AN!" Rick squealed. He threw his arms around his great-uncle's neck and held on tight. Gohan sweat dropped and stood up, holding the little boy.

"Hiya, Rick," he said. "You like Saiyaman, huh?"

"YEP!" he answered, nodding and grinning the whole time.

"How do you know about Saiyaman?"

"The Great Saiyaman Show!" Rick chirped.

"Do they still *_air_* that?!" Gohan exclaimed. "What channel?!"

"Mm…" Rick cocked his head, and thought for a minute. The more he thought, the more his face scrunched up, until it started to turn red. Poor child looked constipated.

"Hey, you ok, Rick?" Rick started to bounce up and down. He was furious with himself. Why couldn't he remember? Finally, he shrugged. Oh well, it would come to him. Then he got another idea.

"Time?"

"Time? Uh…" Gohan looked at the clock on the wall. "7:30."

"SAIYAMAN!" Rick screeched. He hopped out of his uncle's arms and ran off to the living room.

"Hey, Rick, wait for me!" Gohan whined. "I wanna watch it, too!"

It was quiet. *_Too_* quiet. Perhaps the woman had given up chase and decided he wasn't going to dance after all…nah. But something was missing and he couldn't quite place a finger on *_what_* it was… Vegeta drummed his fingers on his crossed arms. Blast the effects of aging! Aggravating memory-loss… 

"RAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!!!!!!" Vegeta looked down at the lion.

"Thank you, Brandon," Vegeta said. He grinned. "You helped me remember my duty…"

"FBI, *_freeze_*!" Brandon, Devin, and Matthew froze in their tracks as Darrin approached them menacingly. "Let me see your bag!" The three boys nodded quickly and held out their candy bags. Darrin pulled up his sunglasses and winked. "Just kidding," he said with a grin. The three of them sighed in relief and ran off down the hall. Darrin laughed as they retreated down the hallway.

"You shouldn't scare them like that, Darrin," Leah told him. "They won't trust you anymore." Darrin laughed again.

"Yeah, maybe so. But I've never *_done* anything to them, have I?" Leah sighed and shook her head._

"No…"

"Then we've got nothing to worry about!" Darrin told her. Leah sighed again.

"Fine, Darrin, believe what you want!" The doorbell rang, and they heard the door open.

"Trick-or-treat!" squeaked a little white dog. 

"Happy Halloween!" Rienna said cheerfully. "Nice costume!"

"Thanks! My mommy made it for me!" the dog replied.

"Okay, Ri, we finally got her to sleep!" Aedan said. He walked into view of the doorway.

"Mr. Aedan?!" The little dog ran into the house and hugged him. "Wow! I didn't know you lived here!" Aedan stared down at the dog for a moment. Then recognition swept over him. The little boy was in his kindergarten class.

"Hiya, Trevor!" Aedan said. "Actually, I don't live here. I'm just helping."

"Oh!" Trevor stood back and looked around. He spotted Rienna and smiled. "Is that your wife?"

"Sure is," Aedan said. Trevor grinned and leaned closer to Aedan, who bent down so the child could whisper in his ear.

"She's pretty," he said. Aedan laughed.

"Yeah, she is, isn't she?" he said. Rienna cocked her head curiously at him. Leah chose that moment to walk through the door. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her. Trevor smiled again, and leaned closer to his teacher again.

"She's pretty, too," he said. Again, Aedan laughed.

"You should meet the rest of the family," he said. Trevor cocked his head. "Never mind," Aedan said. He shook his head. Then he picked a few pieces of candy out of the bowl and dropped them in Trevor's bag. "There, there's a few Reese's for you. I know how you like 'em," Aedan said with a grin. Trevor beamed up at him.

"Gee, thanks, Mr. Aedan!" Trevor hugged him again and ran out the door. He turned around halfway down the sidewalk and waved. "Bye!" Aedan waved back.

"Bye!"

"So what'd he say?" Rienna asked as she shut the door.

"Oh, nothing," Aedan said innocently.

"C'mon, Aedan, what'd he say?" Leah asked. Aedan took to whistling and strolled into the kitchen. "Hey, c'mon!"

"Oh, aren't you gonna tell us?" Aedan turned around and smirked at them.

"Maaaaaybe," he said. "Maybe not."

"Oh, c'mon, Aedan! Just tell us what the kid said!" Leah said.

"Maybe later," he said, his smirk widening a little. Rienna put her hands on her hips.

"Men!" Leah nodded.

"Uh huh."

"Where is he!?" Zurg exclaimed. He had his gun-arm held out in front of him menacingly, and turned this way and that.

"Who ya looking for, Ruben?" Trunks asked.

"It's Emperor Zurg, to you!" Zurg declared. "And I'm looking for HIM."

"Him who?" Trunks repeated.

"My arch-enemy, destroyer of my hopes and spoiler of my dreams!" Trunks quirked an eyebrow at him. Maybe this Zurg stuff had gone to his head. Trunks shrugged. Oh well, not his problem. He waited for "Zurg" to finish his speech.

"Defender of all things cute and cuddly! Upholder of justice and all that goodie-goodie stuff! BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!"

"Oh, Jeremy?" Trunks asked. "Saw him upstairs a minute ago. Went to the bathroom, I think." Zurg nodded at him.

"Oh, thanks. I shall remember this and lessen your punishment when I am supreme ruler of this planet!" With flap of his cape, he was gone. Trunks rolled his eyes. So maybe this *_was* his problem._

Jeremy whistled a tune as he walked out of the bathroom and headed for the stairs. This Halloween party was pretty fun!

"A ***_ha*_**!" Jeremy whirled around and gasped.

"Zurg!" Zurg laughed.

"Yes, Buzz, it is I, Evil Emperor Zurg! And after long… minutes of searching, I have finally found you!" Buzz went into his fighting stance as Zurg laughed again. "I have waited so long for this! The day… that I finally *_destroy_* you!"

"Not today, Zurg!" Buzz declared. He ran off down the stairs as fast as he could. Zurg gasped.

"Hey, get back here!" Zurg cocked his gun and ran off after him.

"Buzz Lightyear to Star Command. Come in, Star Command!" Jeremy whispered into his "com-link." "I've just had a run in with Zurg himself. Requesting backup. I repeat, requesting back-up!"

"You can't hide forever, Lightyear!" Buzz forced himself against the wall as Zurg walked into the room. "I'll find you! And when I do, I'll blast you to pieces! So why not come out now and make this easy on me- you'll die anyway." Buzz charged his laser and jumped out from behind the wall.

"Not if you die first!" he yelled. He shot at Zurg a couple of times with his "laser" (thin, NERF darts) and dove behind the couch. Zurg laughed.

"Buzz, Buzz, Buzz!" he said, shaking his head. "Is it just me, or are you getting a little *_rusty_*!?" Zurg appeared behind the couch and shot Buzz in the shoulder with his gun-arm (large, yellow NERF balls). Buzz cried out in pain and glared up at Zurg.

"I'll never give in!" he shouted.

"Oh, grow up!" Buzz and Zurg relaxed and looked up at Jessica. Standing next to her were Aedan (who was laughing), Rienna (also laughing), Trunks (a bit freaked out at the moment), and Bulma (snapping pictures like crazy). Jessica put her hands on her hips. "You're a little old to be playing 'Buzz Lightyear', aren't you?" Both her boys shuffled their feet and muttered I-guess-so's. "That's what I thought! And besides, what have I told you about playing in the house?" More shuffling and muted Not-to-do-it's. "Uh huh." Jessica shook her head. "I just don't understand you two."

"But Mom, it's so much fun!" Jeremy protested.

"I'm sure it is, dear," his mother replied. "Now you two go find something else to do!" Both of them shuffled off, muttering "Yes, Ma'am" as they went.

"So… they do that *_all* the time," Trunks said finally._

"Not all, but you get the idea," Jessica answered. Trunks smirked at her.

"I knew your boys were crazy, but now I'm a bit scared for Rienna's safety," he said. Aedan started to pout.

"Dad!" Rienna scolded him between giggles. Trunks ignored her and continued.

"Well, actually, I was worried to begin with, but now I'm not so sure *_anyone's_* safe."

"Dad! Cut it out!" Rienna told him. She was trying her hardest to control her fits of giggles. Aedan was turning redder by the second. His ears were bright fire-engine red. "Look, you're embarrassing Aedan!" Aedan's cheeks flushed.

"N-no he's not!" he protested.

"Oh, well, if you say so," Ri said, a knowing look on her face.

"Ha! Caught you in the act, Vegeta!"

"Huh?" The five of them turned around and saw Goku standing triumphantly in the hallway.

"I knew you'd be around that corner! You can't fool me!" he was saying. There wasn't an answer for a minute, then…

"Kakarott?"

"Yeah, Vegeta?"

"…BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!!" Goku screamed and ran off in the other direction. Vegeta put his mask away and stared after his rival. Somehow, that hadn't been as satisfying as it had once been. He sighed. But wait, there was still the… Vegeta smirked his patented Prince of Saiyans smirk and walked off to the basement.

Bulma frowned. "Uh oh, what's he up to now?" she wondered aloud. Trunks shrugged.

"With Dad, you never quite know."

Ding-dong! "Got it!" Leah said. She grabbed the bowl and opened the door as Rienna rushed to help her. "Oh, hi there!" she said. A little girl dressed as a ballerina was standing in the doorway, her hand held by who the girls assumed to be her older brother. "Aren't you the cutest thing! You know, I took ballet when I was little!" The shy little girl said nothing.

"Yeah," Rienna said. "Leah here likes to dance a lot! Do you like to dance?" The ballerina nodded and didn't look up. "Well, that's great!" Leah knelt down next to her and showed her the bowl of candy.

"Tell you what, since I don't know what you like, I'll let you pick it out!" The little girl's face lit up, and she rushed to the bowl, picked through the candy, and placed three pieces in her bag.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"You are very welcome!" Leah told her with a smile. She stood up and placed the bowl back on the table. It was then that she noticed the older boy was watching her and her cousin. "Oh, hi there! You want some candy, too? We have plenty!" The boy blushed.

"C'mon, Lisa, we gotta go!" he said. He picked her up and walked briskly down the sidewalk.

"Huh… wonder what that was all about?" Leah said. Rienna shrugged and closed the door.

It wasn't long before the soda began to run out. I mean, come on- Wal*Mart only has so many 12-packs.

"Guys, I think we're running low in the liquid department," Gohan said. He held the cooler open for everyone to see- all that was left was ice.

"Oh dear," Chloe said. "Now what are we going to do?"

"Not to worry! Prince Vegeta has everything under control!" This, of course, got everyone's attention, and they swiveled in their seats to watch Vegeta as he carried a large bowl of punch from the basement to the dining room. Everyone followed, curious. Since when did Vegeta know how to make punch?

Once in the dining room, Vegeta then proceeded to fill the plastic cups he'd found while he was downstairs.

"Uh, Vegeta, what are you doing?" Goku asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Kakarott!?" Vegeta snapped. "You want something to drink or not?"

"I bet he spiked it," Krillin said. Vegeta sent the little M&M a dirty look and continued to fill the glasses.

*_Not all of it…_* Inwardly, Vegeta laughed a menacing laugh. It was hard to keep a straight face on the outside. "Who wants a taste?" he asked finally. Everyone was rather hesitant.

"I'll go first," Bulma said finally. "That way, if anything happens, you are all spared whatever horror would have befallen you-" Vegeta glared at his mate with renewed distaste. He'd forgotten how much she annoyed him. "-and I will have all the more reason to punish him." Yes, he definitely detested her. But instead of giving her a reason to detest him back, he handed her a glass and watched as she took the first sip.

"Hey, this is pretty good!" she exclaimed. She smiled at her husband. "I didn't know you were so talented!"

"What do you expect from the Saiyan Prince?" Vegeta asked haughtily. "And there's nothing wrong with the punch!" he added to everyone else. *_Well, not all…_* Vegeta smiled and handed Goku a glass. "Normally I wouldn't even consider you worthy to *_touch_* the glass containing my punch, but I want you to witness this for yourself," he explained, taking his own glass. "Even a third-class baka such as yourself needs to know the truth." Goku smiled.

"Gee, thanks, Vegeta!" he said cheerfully. He set it down on the table. "Can I see yours for a minute?" Vegeta eyed him suspiciously.

"Why?"

"I wanna show you a trick!" Vegeta rolled his eyes and thrust his glass into his hand.

"Make it quick, Kakarott."

"Don't worry, it'll only take a second!" Goku assured him. He set the glasses down next to each other. Suddenly, he placed both hands on them, and scrambled their positions so fast even Vegeta was hard put to watch them.

"What are you doing!?" he demanded.

"Guess which one's yours!" Goku said. Vegeta growled.

"I don't have time for this, Kakarott!"

"C'mon, just guess!" Vegeta thrust his finger at the right one.

"That one, then, if it will make you shut up."

"Hey, you're right! Good eye, Vegeta!" Vegeta scoffed.

"You can't expect anything else from *_me*." With that, he snatched his glass and stormed off._

Later, when Vegeta was alone, leaning against the doorframe in the shadows and watching everyone else party in disgust, he felt something pulling on his pants.

"What?!" he hissed. He looked down, expecting a child, and was surprised when he didn't find one. "Oh, it's you." Vegeta watched as the little red creature at his feet explained his story.

He pointed to a bottle about as big as he was, and then to Vegeta's cup, and then pointed to the rest of the group and looked up hopefully at Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince smirked, stooped down, and picked up the bottle and the creature.

"Good work… Deho, I think it is." Deho the dinosaur nodded fervently. "Good work. Very good." Deho cheered a little dinosaur cheer. Vegeta smirked at him. "You know, for a demon that's plagued me for the last 40 years or so, you're not so bad. Well, actually, you are!" Vegeta laughed evilly.

Deho soon joined him, though he really didn't understand what was so funny. All he knew was that, maybe, just maybe, Vegeta was starting to like him.

"You know, this punch isn't half bad!" Goten said. He held up his glass. "Here's to Vegeta!"

"What are you, nuts?!" Bulma exclaimed. "Give him any credit and you'll over-inflate his already over-sized head!"

"I dunno, Bulma, I think he deserves the credit on this one," Goku said.

"Wonder how hard he had to restrain himself from poisoning us all," Krillin mumbled. Eighteen put her hands on her hips.

"Krillin, now I know Vegeta's not exactly the nicest man on earth, but he wouldn't poison us!"

"Not anymore, anyway," Bulma said, taking a sip of her punch.

"Quiet, you guys, I think he can hear you!" Goku said.

"So let him listen!" Bulma said. "Serves him right for eavesdropping!"

"Well, I'm with Eighteen," Trunks said.

"Yeah, me too!" Leah said. Rienna, Jamie, Brian, Aedan, and Darrin nodded in agreement.

"You guys are too hard on him," Darrin said. "He's really  a nice guy!"

"Yeah, I have to agree with you there, Darrin," Gohan said. "Deep down, he loves us all."

Over in his corner, Vegeta laughed. *_Yeah, right,* he thought. He smirked at them from the shadows. *_Wait 'til that punch kicks in…_* Suddenly, Vegeta felt rather dizzy. He put his hand to his head. His temples were throbbing, and his vision started to blur. What was happening? Immediately, his mind went back to Goku's trick earlier._

*_Curse that Kakarott! He switched them!_* Vegeta fell to his knees. *_When I get my hands on that third-class…* He never got to finish his thought. Vegeta fell face-forward on the floor, unconscious._

"You know," Aedan said suddenly. "I'm not feeling too good all of a sudden." Rienna frowned and put her hand to his forehead.

"You're not running a fever…"

"No, it's not that. I just feel really dizzy…" Aedan put his hand on his head. "And I have this horrible headache."

"Yeah," Darrin said, "me too." 

"Uh oh," Chloe said. "Must be a bug going around."

"I don't feel too good, either," Goten admitted. Adrienne groaned.

"Not you, too!" Goten nodded as his wife slid out of focus.

"Adrienne, sit still!" She frowned.

"I am sitting still!" she protested. Goten frowned.

"Really?" Without warning, he passed out on the couch. Adrienne jumped up in surprise.

"Goten!" she cried. Aedan and Darrin soon followed suit.

"Oh  my gosh!" Leah exclaimed. "Chloe, can you do anything?" Chloe shook her head.

"Not until I know what they've got." She looked up at Rienna. "You said Aedan *_wasn't_* running a fever?" Rienna nodded.

"Yeah."

"Hm…. Headache, dizziness, blurred vision…" Chloe thought for a moment. "Only thing I can think of is… oh, but that's silly!"

"What?" Bulma asked.

"Well…" Chloe said. She looked up at them all. "They're drunk." Needless to say, this caused quite a stir.

"Drunk!?" Leah exclaimed. "Darrin, drunk!? *_My* Darrin!?"_

"Vegeta!" Krillin exclaimed. "Vegeta's behind this, I know it!"

"Calm down, Krillin," Gohan said. "Let's find him and ask him ourselves."

"Good idea, Gohan," Bulma said. She set her glass down on the table and stood up. "Let's find that wretched husband of mine!"

When they found Vegeta, he was face-down on the carpet, halfway in the hall, halfway in the room.

"Just as I suspected!" Krillin declared, holding up a little bottle of liquor. "He spiked it!" He gloated at his wife. "I told you, I told you!" Eighteen rolled her eyes and ignored him.

"Question is, how did Vegeta pass out?" she asked.

"Well, it's obvious it had something to do with this…" Bulma said, taking the bottle from Krillin. Trunks smirked at his unconscious father.

"Maybe he just hit the bottle a bit too heavily," he said. Chloe frowned and hit him in the back of the head. "Ow!" Trunks rubbed the back of his head and growled. "Jeez, what'd you do that for?!" Chloe ignored her angry husband and sighed.

"Well, no matter what happened, he's out like a light," she said. Chi-Chi nodded.

"Yes," she said. "We won't be getting anything out of him too soon." Suddenly, Goku spoke up.

"Uh… well… I think I know what happened to Vegeta…" he said slowly.

"Well, tell us, Goku!" Brian said.

"Well… earlier when he was handing out the punch, I switched our glasses around and made him guess which was his."

"…And you mixed them up," Bulma said. Goku nodded, causing her to sigh. "Vegeta, Vegeta, will you ever learn?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know this would happen! I didn't switch them on purpose!" Bulma smiled.

"No, Goku, it's not your fault. It was meant for you, so you actually did yourself a favor. Besides," she added, with a glance at her husband on the floor, "he deserves it." She looked down at him in disgust and fought back the urge to kick him while he 'slept'. "Old fool."

"He'll never change," Gohan said with a sigh. Several in the group nodded and muttered various agreements.

"Well," Bulma said finally. "Let's move this dimwit to the couch. Wouldn't want someone tripping over him, would we?"

Before anyone laid a finger on him, a scream came from the living room.

"Rienna!" Trunks exclaimed. He, Brian, and Ruben rushed into the room. Rienna had jumped up off the couch and was breathing heavily. She had her hands on her hips.

"Jeez, Aedan! Don't scare me like that!" she told him. Aedan just laughed and sat up with a huge grin on his face. "And wipe that grin off your face! It's creepy!" Again, Aedan laughed- a high-pitched, maniacal laugh. Rienna glared at him. "You can cut that out, too!" 

In response, her husband stood up, laughed again, and ran off, yelling something about "candy inspection." Rienna cocked her head.

"Certainly strange…"

"You're telling me," Trunks said. "But, under the circumstances…"

"What circumstances?"

"Well… let's just say your grandfather *_did* have a hand in this…" Trunks answered finally._

"Grandpa spiked his punch?!" Leah exclaimed. "I don't believe it!"

"Oh, I don't doubt it," Adrienne said sourly. "But to Goten…! Kami, I thought he'd gotten over that!"

"I can't see why he'd do it to anyone," Rienna said. "Except to Goku. No offense to him, I mean." Trunks shrugged.

"Dad is Dad. We'll never understand him."

"I think he likes being misunderstood," Brian said. Trunks shrugged.

"Who knows?" He turned to Rienna. "But, you, uh, might wanna go catch your husband. No telling what he's up to." Rienna nodded and stood up.

"I hate to find out what 'candy inspection' means the hard way." Trunks laughed in response, and his daughter ran off. Ruben sighed.

"Maybe I should go help her," he said. Trunks nodded.

"Yeah. Aedan's pretty strong when he wants to be. Not saying he's violent, but, well, he *_is_* drunk…" At that, Adrienne's and Leah's faces paled.

"Oh Kami…" they said at the same time.

"Dende, if you let *_anything* happen tonight…" Adrienne muttered under her breath. _

Up at the Lookout, Dende laughed. "You owe me for those piña coladas you destroyed last month!" He took a sip of the one in his hand and laughed again. "You're on your own, Son Adrienne!"

"Say, Adrienne… Didn't you blow up his stash of piña coladas last time we were there?" Krillin asked. Adrienne sweat-dropped.

"Oh Kami…"

"*_Someone's_* on Kami's bad side," Trunks asked, a sly tone to his voice. At that point, Goku and Gohan hauled Vegeta in and laid him in a large armchair. Adrienne mumbled something and glared at him. Beside her, Goten stirred, and she forgot Vegeta for a moment and turned to her husband.

"Goten!" she said. "Goten, wake up!" Goten groaned and sat up.

"What in tarnation…?" Weary-eyed, he looked around at everyone and cocked his head. "Who in the san hills are you people?" Adrienne frowned.

"Ok, Goten, quit playing around! And get rid of that *_ridiculous_* accent!"

"What accent? *_You're_* the one with the accent!" he said, putting his hands on his hips. "And my name's not Goten! It's Dan!" Adrienne narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, please!" she exclaimed. "You expect me to please that you've lost your memory and think you're a cowboy!?" Dan stared at her for a minute.

"Yes." Adrienne sighed. "And I'm not just a cowboy! I'm a real sheriff!" He pointed to the cheep badge from the Dollar Store on his vest. "See?" Adrienne frowned.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" He nodded in response. Adrienne growled and stood up, glaring at her father. She quickly decided that now was as good as any, and lunged at him. Luckily for Vegeta, Goku was there to stop her. "Lemme go! I'm gonna kill him!!"

"Come on, Adrienne, you don't want to kill him," Goku told her.

"Well, maybe not kill him, but hurt him really really *_bad_*!" she growled.

"No, Adrienne," Bulma said in her normal reprimanding fashion. "You're not going to kill him." She glared at Vegeta, who was still unconscious. "I'm going to!"

"Excuse me," Goten said, "but no one's killing anyone while I'm around!" He walked up to Bulma and Adrienne. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to place you two under arrest for attempted murder!" Bulma rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please, Goten!" she said.

"It's not Goten!" he shrieked. "My name is Dan!" Trunks couldn't help but snicker. Chi-Chi, however, took quite a different approach.

"What has that man done to my baby?!" she cried. She started sobbing and threw her arms around his neck. "Oh, Goten!" Goten sweat-dropped.

"Look, ma'am, I'm not your kid…"

"OH!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "You don't even remember your own mother!! Oh, Goten!" She sat back and stroked his hair. "Don't worry, sweetie, Mommy has everything under control!" Goten sweat-dropped again.

"Uh…" Chi-Chi ignored her obviously bewildered son and turned on Vegeta, rolling up her sleeves in familiar Chi-Chi fashion.

"Now, Chi-Chi," Goku started.

"Don't you 'now Chi-Chi' me, Son Goku! Get out of the way, or I'll MAKE you!" Goku cringed at the thought and pulled Adrienne away from Vegeta. Before the enraged female could lay a hand on him, however, he groaned and sat up.

"Oh, my head…" He looked around, and wondered why everyone was giving him the evil eye. "…What?!"

"You know good and well what, Vegeta!" Chi-Chi shrieked. She thrust a finger at Goten. "Look what you did to my baby!" But Vegeta wasn't paying attention.

"Hmm… what was I doing earlier…?" He pondered this for a while. "…OH! I know, now!" He rubbed his hands together devilishly. "EXPERIMENTATION!" Everyone looked at him funny.

"…What?" Bulma asked. Vegeta just laughed an evil little laugh and ran off to the basement before anyone could stop him, locking the door behind him. Bulma ran after him and beat on the door.

"Vegeta, you open this door this *_instant*!" No response. "Vegeta, I'm warning you! You open this door, or it's the couch for a month!" …Still no response. "Don't make me disable the Gravity Room, too!" Surprisingly, this didn't gather a response either. "…Well, gee, that's odd," she said finally. "That one *_always_* works…"_

"May I suggest that… well, perhaps he's not in his right mind at the moment…" Jessica said. She nodded to the bottle they had discovered in the hallway. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Still…" Krystal said. "What did he mean by 'experimentation'?" Suddenly, an explosion rocked the house. It'd come from downstairs, where a stream of extremely high-pitched and gleeful laughter was also coming from.

"……" Bulma, Trunks, and Chloe rushed over to the basement door.

"DAD, OPEN UP!"

"VEGETA, YOU OPEN THIS DOOR!"

"YOU CAN'T BLOW UP MY BASEMENT!!"

While the three of them were pounding on the door and shouting, Darrin woke up with a scream.

"THE APOCALYPSE! THE APOCALYPSE IS COMING!" he screeched. Leah put her hand on his shoulder.

"Darrin, it's ok! There is no apocalypse!"

"IT'S COMING, I TELL YOU! THE END OF THE WORLD IS AT HAND!" He stood up. "I have to warn everyone!"

"No, Darrin, it's ok-"

"THERE IS NO HOPE! THE END OF THE WORLD IS COMING! APOCALYPSE!!" With that, he ran off.

"Wait, Darrin!" Leah stood up and ran off after him. Bulma sighed in frustration.

"Can't you blast it down, Trunks?" He sweat-dropped and scratched the back of his head.

"Heh, well, uh, you see, it's funny you should ask that…" he said.

"Oh, for Kami's sake, Trunks, can you or can you not!?"

"Well, remember when we asked for that blast-proof door…?" he asked. Bulma put her hands on her hips.

"I wondered what you did with that!"

"Yeah…"

"We put it up so we could escape from the kids once and a while," Chloe explained. "The basement and the bathroom were all we had!" Bulma laughed.

"Be glad you had *_that*."_

"Chemicals, chemicals!" Vegeta sang to himself as he searched through his son's kitchen cabinets. "I love chemicals!" He laughed. "They make things go BOOM!"

"Vegeta!" Vegeta stood up with a start, hitting his head on the underside of the counter. He muttered something and appeared from under the counter, rubbing his head and cursing.

"What!?" he snapped. Gohan stared at him. His costume was singed in places, as was his hair.

"When did you come out of the basement?" he asked.

"A minute ago," he said plainly. Vegeta went back to fishing through the cabinets, humming his Chemicals song.

"…How did you get up here?" Vegeta shrugged and kept searching.

"…A *_ha_*!" he said finally. He pulled out a few aerosol cans and household cleaners and shut the cabinet with his foot. "*_If_* you'll excuse me, I have chemicals to mix!" he declared. Before Gohan could stop him, he fazed out and disappeared.

"Hey!"

"Hi, Daddy!" Matt said cheerfully. Aedan smiled back at his son deviously.

"Hiya, Matt!" he answered. "Can I see your bag of candy? I need to inspect it." Matt groaned.

"Daddy! You do that *_every* year!" he whined._

"Matt, we've been through this before." Matt groaned again.

"Ok…" The little boy ran off to find his bag of candy, and soon came back with it. "Here," he said sorely.

"Thanks." Aedan picked through it and suddenly pulled out a Reese's peanut butter cup. "A *_ha_*!" he declared. "*_This_* piece of candy looks questionable!"

"…It looks the same to me," Matt said.

"Hmm…" After looking the candy over, Aedan unwrapped it and popped it in his mouth. "I was wrong! Good piece!"

"DADDY!" Matt exclaimed. "My Reese's!" Aedan grinned and swallowed the sugary goodness.

"Sorry, kiddo, my mistake." He picked up the bag again. "Now let's see…"

"I saw that, Aedan Kinamora!" Aedan looked up at his wife.

"Hm?" he asked. "Saw what?"

"You know WHAT!" Rienna shouted. "You are drunk and you are stealing my child's candy!"

"Hey, he's my kid, too," Aedan said.

"EXACTLY!" Aedan cocked his head.

"I don't get it." Rienna's eyes flashed and she grabbed her husband by the ear. "Owowowowowowoowowowow!!!"

"You're coming with me until whatever Grandpa gave you wears off!" she declared. "And not a minute sooner!"

"Ow! Hey, leggo!" Rienna allowed her eyes to flash green as she stared him down. To Aedan, she had suddenly grown so much taller. He conveniently forgot that he could go Super, too (in his, erm, state), and whimpered as she continued to stare into his eyes angrily.

"Good! Now come on!" She let go of his ear and marched off to the living room. He followed behind her meekly.

Meanwhile, Leah had also found Darrin and dragged him back to the living room.

"But the apocalypse!" he protested. "I have to warn everyone!"

"Darrin!" she yelled. Leah cleared her throat. "Darrin," she said, more calmly this time. "There is no apocalypse."

"But-"

"Trust me on this one." Darrin stared at her, and she stared back determinedly. He sighed when he realized he couldn't win and slumped on the couch, downhearted.

"I'm telling you, I'm not who you think I am!" Goten protested.

"And I'm telling you you are!" Adrienne told him. "You're my husband, Son Goten!"

"My name is Dan!" he shouted. Adrienne fought back the urge to hit him in the back of the head. She had to remember, this wasn't his fault. She shot an angry glance at the basement door that Trunks was currently searching for the key to, then looked back at Goten. She took a deep breath.

"Ok, tell me who you think you are."

"Well, my name is Dan, and I'm a sheriff!" he said happily.

"…And?"

"And… I have a horse?"

"Where is your horse?"

"I dunno, lost her a couple days ago in an Indian raid."

"Uh huh… so do you have a last name?"

"………………………………… Well, I'm sure I do, I just can't think of it right now!" Adrienne rolled her eyes.

"Right…" At that moment, Rienna walked into the room and pointed to the couch. Aedan followed her and sat down next to Adrienne obediently. She looked at her niece in curiosity.

"Don't even ask," Rienna said. She sat down on the arm of the couch next to Aedan and sighed. Aedan scooted a little closer to Adrienne, earning Rienna another curious glance. "Oh, I'm not going to hurt you!" Rienna told him. Aedan nodded and scooted back into his original position. Rienna sighed again.

"I need a nice tall glass of lemonade right about now," she said. She leaned back on the couch and took a deep breath. "Grandpa come up yet?"

"Well, Gohan spotted him in the kitchen, but he got away…" Adrienne said. Rienna sighed.

"Of course." Suddenly, another explosion rocked the house, followed by more laughter.

"Darn it! Chloe, where's that key?!" Chloe sighed.

"I dunno, Trunks," she called back. "Did you try the kitchen?"

"Did you try the kitchen?" Trunks repeated sassily. "Of course I tried the kitchen! What does she think I am, stupid?" He kicked an empty Pepsi 12-pack box across the floor and stomped off to some other room.

"Sometimes," Chloe muttered. Bulma laughed.

"I don't blame you."

"I wondered where we got the 'kicking-things-when-we're-angry' gene," Brian said with a glance at his sister. Rienna put her hands on her hips.

"What's that supposed to mean, Brian!?"

"Well, I think that comes from both of us," Chloe said with a smile.

"You two were meant for each other," Ruben said sweetly. "Altogether now!" He and his wife looked at each other with a smile.

"Aww!" Chloe grinned back at them.

"I know. It's so sad…" she said. "How did I, of all the other girls in the world, get picked to be *_his* wife?"_

"How unfortunate," Jeremy said with a grin. Jessica shot him a "shut-up-if-you-know-what's-good-for-you" look. "What?! I was agreeing with her!" Jessica's stare intensified. "Hey, you know Trunks is like another dad to me! Give me a break! I was kidding!"

"That's enough, Jeremy," Ruben said.

"But Dad-"

"Jeremy." Jeremy sighed.

"That's ok, Jeremy," Chloe said. "I appreciate the effort."

"It's ok, Jeremy," Leah said kindly. She patted him on the head, causing the boy to blush.

Trunks chose that moment to walk into the living room, defeated and looking very disgruntled.

"That's it," he said. "I've looked everywhere, and I can't find it!"

"I guess we'll just have to wait until he comes up of his own free will, then," Chloe said.

"Do you know how long that will take?!" he exclaimed.

"Uh… no," she said. Trunks sighed and collapsed on the floor next to her chair.

"We're all doomed."

"See, he believes in the apocalypse, too!" Darrin shouted. Leah shot him a look, and he frowned and crossed his arms. Suddenly, Adrienne sighed, stood up, and disappeared. Goten jumped off the couch in surprise.

"Hey, where in tarnation did she disappear to!?" he exclaimed.

"I dunno, Goten," Trunks said dully.

"It's Dan!"

"Fine, fine, Dan, whatever." He stood up. "Guess I'll try the doorknob again. Anyone got a hairpin?" Chloe rolled her eyes and pulled one out of her hair.

"Here, Trunks," she said. "It's sad when you have to pick the lock on your own door." Trunks muttered something and went off to pick the lock. He stuck in the pin and was jiggling it around when suddenly the door swung open and hit him in the face, knocking him backwards and onto the floor. He dropped the pin and covered his face. "Ow!" He glared up at the intruder. "Adrienne! You did that on purpose!" he whined. Adrienne smirked.

"So what if I did?" She pulled a squirming Vegeta out from behind her, holding him up by his trench coat. "Looking for this?"

"Lemme go!" Vegeta shouted, twisting and turning to break out of her grasp.

"How'd you get down there?" Chloe asked.

"Instant-transmit," she said plainly.

"Why didn't you do that in the first place and save me the trouble of looking for the key!?" Trunks exclaimed. Adrienne scoffed.

"I wondered how long it would take you to figure it out."

"Liar." Adrienne's eyes flashed.

"Shut up, Trunks!"

"Adrienne, bring him over here," Bulma said. Adrienne nodded and dragged Vegeta over to the couch. He was still squirming.

"Where are you taking me?! Put me down!" Adrienne did as she was told and set him on the couch next to Bulma. He glared up at Adrienne.

"Ok, Vegeta, you've got some explaining to do!" Bulma said. He looked up at her innocently.

"Hm?"

"First of all, when we get home, you are *_grounded*! No TV, no video games, and especially no Gravity Room! For months!" Vegeta stared at her obliviously as she continued. "Second of all: what were you doing with a bottle of alcohol!? Do you know the extent of what you've done?! Aedan's been stealing candy from the children, Darrin's scared into thinking the apocalypse is upon us, and Goten thinks he's a country-western sheriff! Not to mention what you've done to yourself! Are you even *_listening_* to me!?"_

"Blah blahblah, blah blah TV, blah blahblah blah blah, Gravity Room. Blah blahblahblah blah, blahblah blah blahblah alcohol…" Vegeta's eyes glazed over and he stared at Bulma with unseeing eyes. People always had to drag things out. Why couldn't the woman just say what she wanted to say and get it over with?!

Suddenly Vegeta felt compelled to hug something. He wasn't sure why, but something inside of him was urging him to wrap his arms around something, anything, and squeeze as hard as he could. Vegeta fought the urge as long as possible, but ultimately, he couldn't resist.

"You've not been listening to a word I've said this whole time, have you!? Why I oughtta-" Bulma stopped short when she caught Vegeta's gaze. He was staring at her with a dreamy look on his face, and he was actually, for real, smiling. "…What?" Vegeta burst into a grin and wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you!" he said sweetly. Bulma stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Oh… my… gosh… Kami help us all!" she screamed.

"Daddy, where have you gone!?" Adrienne cried.

"What'd I tell you?" Trunks asked "We're all doomed."

"The apocalypse! The apocalypse is coming!" Darrin screamed. "Save the women and children!" He picked Leah up and carried her off.

"Darrin! Put me down!"

"Doomed, doomed!" Trunks chanted. He laughed. "We're all *_doomed_*!"

"I think Trunks has had a bit too much to drink," Ruben said.

"I think this party has gone on long enough," Eighteen said. "C'mon, Krillin, we're leaving."

"Oh, Eighteen! Just when it was getting good!" Krillin whined. Eighteen shot him a dirty look. "Coming, dearest!"

"I think we should go, too," Bra said. She stood up. "Uh, thanks for inviting us, onii-san!" she told Trunks. He waved her off.

"Yeah, yeah. See ya at Christmas." Bra frowned and put her hands on her hips.

"*_Well_* then!" She turned on her heal and stormed out of the room. "C'mon, Chris, we're leaving!"

"We're gonna go too," Marron said. "We'll see you guys later!"

"Bye!" Chloe said. "Thanks for coming!"

"Thanks for having us!" Marron answered. Krillin's, Marron's, and Bra's families left the room, grabbed their children (and their coats) and left.

"We should go, too," Gohan said. Adrienne grabbed his arm.

"Oh, no you don't, Gohan! There is no way in HFIL you're leaving me with your brother still thinking he's a cowboy!"

"Sheriff!" Goten shouted angrily. "SHER-IFF!!" Adrienne quirked an eyebrow at Gohan, who sighed.

"Ok, ok…" he said. "But only for Goten!"

"Dan!" he shouted.

"For Dan, then," Gohan said with a sigh.

"About time," Goten said. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He sighed and closed his eyes. "Gosh, I'm mighty tired."

"Yeah, me too," Aedan admitted. He yawned and leaned back against the couch.

"Well, you two just rest," Chloe said. "Kami knows you need it."

"I'm going to go find Darrin and Leah," Jamie said. "She didn't look too happy when he carried her off…"

"I'll come, too," Brian said. "I need a distraction."

"Cool! C'mon, then, let's go," Jamie said. Both beavers stood up and walked out of the room.

Meanwhile, Dan the cowboy ("SHERIFF!") sat down next to Aedan and propped his boots up on the table. He pulled his hat down over his eyes, folded his hands behind his head, and went to sleep. Adrienne sighed and gently pulled his hat off. She ran her fingers through his hair and sighed again.

"Oh, Goten…"

"Gee, I don't see 'em, Brian," Jamie said.

"Well, keep looking," Brian replied. "They've gotta be around here somewhere."

"Not *_necessarily_*," Jamie told him. Brian shook his head.

"Don't even joke like that, Jamie."

"Yeah, guess so." The two of them kept walking until they came to the family room, where a nice cozy fire was blazing in the corner. A playpen was in the opposite corner, and there were several children's toys lying on the floor. In the big green armchair, Darrin was sitting with his arms around Leah. They were both squeezed in-between the two armrests. Leah had her head on Darrin's shoulder, and Darrin was snuggling up to her, a small smile on his face.

"…Well, guess we found them," Jamie said finally.

"Yeah, guess we did…" Brian smirked. "Too bad I made Alex keep her camera at home." Jamie laughed.

"Brian, that's mean!" The two of them left the room quietly, discussing a woman's need for a camera- for everything.

Aedan woke up to find that Rienna had dozed off and slipped into the small space between him and the armrest of the couch where she had previously been sitting. He smiled and played with the flower in her hair. She yawned and sat up.

"Welcome back," he said. She grinned at him.

"I should say the same to you," she answered. Aedan cocked his head at her. "You don't remember?" Her husband shook his head. "Then I won't tell you." She yawned again. "Where's Leah?"

"Not sure," Aedan answered. "She and Darrin haven't some back yet." Rienna quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Really…"

"Yeah. But Jamie and Brian went off to find them. They should be ok." Rienna laughed. "What?"

"Nothing," Rienna replied. "Just thinking…" She sat up properly and looked around the room. Then she smirked at Adrienne and Goten at the other end of the couch: both of them were asleep, Goten with his arm around Adrienne's shoulders.

"Aw, how cute," she said with a sneer, proving that she *_somehow_* had to be related to Vegeta. "Auntie Adrienne and Uncle Goten, asleep on the couch. It's so cute I could cry!" She laughed, and Aedan couldn't hold back the temptation to question his wife's sanity. "Where's Grandma's camera? I *_need* this!" With that, she hopped up and ran off to find Bulma. Aedan got up to follow her._

"Well, she's definitely her father's daughter," he said with a sigh.

 "Is that Mommy?" Autumn asked. She, Devin, Brandon, John, and Matt had finally sneaked past the adults and into the living room where they'd been playing before Chi-Chi ushered them upstairs for a nap. Sierra, Rick, and Amanda were too young, so the older children had left them to sleep by themselves.

The four oldest peered curiously at the two sleeping adults in the armchair. Devin, meanwhile, was trying to climb up on the arm. "What are they doing?" John asked.

"They're sleeping, duh!" Brandon told his cousin. "Isn't it *_obvious_*?"

"Yeah," John said, a little hurt at his remark, "but why are they sleeping *_there_*?"

"Well, that's a totally different question," Brandon said, crossing his arms.

"It's kinda funny," Matt said with a laugh. He pointed at Darrin, who was smiling and holding Leah close. "Look at your dad!"

"Maybe it's an adult thing?" John asked. Autumn, Brandon, and Matt shrugged.

"Can't see!" Devin whined. The other four ignored him.

"Maybe you're right, John," Autumn said. "Maybe it *_is_* an adult thing…"

"Can't *_see_*!" Brandon sighed and turned to his brother.

"Well what do you want- Devin, don't!"

"I wanna see!" Devin said defiantly. He jumped up, grabbed the arm of the chair, and tried to pull himself up. In his struggle, he stepped on the lever to extend the footrest and the chair flattened out with a whoosh. It shifted under his weight, and the little 3-year-old hit the floor with a thud. The four other children were hit backwards by the footrest.

In the same instant, Darrin and Leah work with a start. Darrin jumped out of the chair in surprise.

"What the heck!?" he exclaimed. Then he saw the five wide-eyed, guilty-looking children on the floor. His eyes went back to their normal size as his heart-rate slowed. "Hello, kids."

"Hi, Uncle Darrin/Hi, Daddy," they answered slowly. Before they could say anything more, Leah sat forward and pushed the footrest back into place. She sighed.

"That was quite a rush," she said, a small smile on her face.

"Hi, Mommy," Autumn said.

"Oh, hi, Autumn!" Leah said. She narrowed her eyes. "I thought Chi-Chi sent you to bed."

"Well, uh, Aunt Leah," John said.

"I was trying to stop them!" Brandon exclaimed. "Honest, I was!"

"Were not!" Matt shouted angrily. Brandon glared at him.

"Liar!" he shouted back.

"Guys, guys!" Leah exclaimed. "Take it easy!"

"Tell him to stop lying!" Matt said, pointing at his cousin.

"Tell *_him_* to stop lying!" Brandon said, following his example.

"I wasn't lying, you were!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yeah huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yeah huh!"

"Nuh *_uh_*!"

"Yeah *_huh_*!"

"Guys!" Darrin shouted. They both stop and looked up at him innocently.

"What?" they asked in unison. Darrin sighed and shook his head.

"Let's just forget this happened and all go back to bed?" he asked.

"But we don't wanna!" the children whined.

"You can't make us, Aunt Leah!" Brandon exclaimed. He hugged her leg. "Don't make us go!"

"Yeah! We wanna stay up with you guys!" Matt exclaimed. Autumn and John nodded.

"Yeah!" Devin said. He wasn't quite sure why he agreed with them, but it was his "obligation as a little brother to agree with the big brother," or so Brandon said. Whatever an obligation was. And in all honesty, Brandon didn't know, either; he just knew his mom said that word to his dad to get him to do stuff. So far, it'd worked on little Devin, too.

Leah shook her head. "You really should be in bed," she said. They groaned in response. "But, if you go ask your parents-"

"Yay!" Before she could finish her sentence, they'd hugged her and ran off.

"Thanks, Mommy!" Autumn called.

"Thanks, Aunt Leah!" John, Brandon, and Matt yelled.

"Wait for me!" Devin cried. "Brandon!"

"Vegeta, as much as I love the attention… Would you get off of me already?!" Bulma glared at her husband, who still had his arms wrapped around her. He stared up at her with large, hurting eyes, and his bottom lip started to quiver.

"But… but…"

"Off!" she ordered. "Now!" Vegeta sniffed and his eyes started to water.

"You don't like me anymore!" he wailed. Vegeta burst into tears. "You hate me, don't you?!" Bulma, surprised at his sudden change in behavior, tried to comfort him.

"No, Vegeta, it's not like that-"

"You're such a meanie!" he cried. Vegeta stood up and ran from the room, crying his eyes out. Bulma sighed. She kinda felt for the guy: she *_had_* been a bit harsh. But then again, he *_had_* been clinging to her for the last half hour… Bulma sighed in frustration.

"I hate to say this, but I want the old Vegeta back…" She stood up determinedly and stomped off after him. "Vegeta, come back!"

Rienna walked back into the living room, looking very disappointed. Aedan followed, a big grin on his face.

"Couldn't find her, eh, Ri?" he chided. "Couldn't find her camera?"

"Shut up, Aedan!" Rienna snapped. "I'd like to see *_you_* do better!" Aedan grinned.

"Ok!" He stood up and walked back to the door they'd just come through. "Hey, Bulma!"

"Not now, I'm busy!!!" she shouted back. She sounded like she was on the brink of loosing her mind in the near future.

"Where's your camera?"

"In my purse on the dining room table, where else!?"

"Thanks!" Aedan walked into the dining room, found Bulma's purse, pulled out the camera, and walked back into the living room, a triumphant look on his face. He grinned at his wife and waved the camera around a little.

"Oh shut up." She stood up, snatched the camera from him, and took a few pictures of her aunt and uncle. She smiled. "There, that should do it. Can't wait 'til they're developed." Rienna rubbed her hands together maniacally. "I can't *_wait_* to see the look on Adrienne's face!" Aedan cleared his throat, earning him another glare. "Thanks," she said sourly. Aedan grinned at her.

"You're welcome!" he said in a sing-song tone. He left to put the camera back when a little chibi Aedan ran into the room.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Rienna looked down at her son.

"Matt?" She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Matt laughed a little nervously.

"Yeah, but Aunt Leah said I had to ask you if I could stay up!" Rienna stared down at him with all of her maternal authority.

"And?"

"…So can I?"

"You need to get some sleep," she answered. Matt groaned. "But, since it's Halloween…" Matt gasped.

"Really? You mean it?!" Rienna smiled and nodded.

"But just this once!" Matt's face broke into a smile, and he hugged his mother.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed. He ran over to Aedan, who was just coming from the dining room, and hugged him as well. "Thanks, Daddy!"

"Uh, you're welcome…?" Aedan said uncertainly, as his son ran off to join the others. "Hey," he called suddenly, "shouldn't you be in bed?"

"C'mon, let's go see what they're up to," Rienna said, taking his hand and leading him from the room. "No telling what they're capable of. Especially since he's half yours."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

"Vegeta, come back!" Bulma whined. "I'm sorry, ok?!"

"What's the matter, Bulma?" Videl asked. Bulma sighed.

"I can't find Vegeta anywhere!" she exclaimed. "He ran off when I told him to get off of me, and I haven't seen him since."

"Ah." Videl smiled. "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll turn up somewhere."

"BOO!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!!"

"Oh, darn it, it's just *_you*!"_

"Told ya," Videl said with a smile. Bulma smiled back at her and ran off to retrieve her husband.

Adrienne sighed. *_I wonder if Goten will ever go back to normal…* she thought. *__Well, if all else fails, we can gather the Dragonballs and wish he was…* Her train of thought was interrupted as Goten stirred beside her. She smiled, and hoped for the best._

"Hi," she said softly. "Feeling better, Dan?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Goten answered. "Terrible headache, though…" Then it hit him. "Did you just call me Dan?" Adrienne smiled and hugged him.

"You're back!" she cheered. "About time!"

"Back?" he asked. "Where did I go?"

"Texas, by the sound of it, but you took me to HFIL and back!" she answered with a laugh. "You had me worried for a while, there!"

"Texas? HFIL?" Goten shook his head. "You're going to have to explain this to me…" Adrienne nodded.

"Sure. Right after I kill Dad." Goten sweat-dropped.

"What did he do now?" he whined.

"Three words," Adrienne said. "Alcohol, punch, insanity." Goten sweat-dropped again.

"Kami only knows…"

"Darn! It's just *_you*," Vegeta said with disdain. Gohan crossed his arms with a clink._

"That's not funny, Vegeta!" he said crossly. "I nearly jumped out of my armor!"

"Too bad you didn't," Vegeta said with a sneer. "Especially with your mate around." Under his helmet, Gohan turned a deep shade of crimson. "Am I right, Kakabrat?"

"Vegeta, there you are!" Bulma stomped up to him and stared into his eyes defiantly. "I have been looking all over for you! Where have you been!?"

"Around," Vegeta said calmly. "What do you care?" Bulma glared at him.

"What do I care? What do I care?!? Listen here, buster, *_you_* ran off, bawling your beady little Saiyan eyes out, and when I come looking for you, you disappear! And now you're asking why I care!?" Vegeta's eyes hardened.

"Wait a minute- bawling? Me?" He laughed coldly. "You have *_got_* to be joking." Bulma just glared at him. Vegeta laughed again. "Stop hallucinating, woman!"

"I am not hallucinating, Vegeta!!" Bulma screeched.

"Tch. Whatever." Bulma's clenched fists started to shake in her rage.

"Don't you whatever me, buddy! Prince or no prince, you are out of line! I am not hallucinating, and even if I were, you disappeared all the same and I do not appreciate it!"

"And I would care because…?" Bulma ignored him and continued.

"Besides that, I still have a bone or two to pick with you! Like what were you *_thinking_*?! Do you know what kind of crap I've had to put up with for the last two hours!?"

"No."

"Exactly!" she screamed. "Now you find Darrin, Goten, and Aedan, and you apologize! And *_then_* you will go into the basement and clean up whatever mess you made while you were down there!" Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"Woman, I haven't been in that basement since the brat moved in here!" Bulma laughed icily.

"That's what you think." Vegeta muttered something about incompetence and crossed his arms.

"After you're done with that, I want a full explanation of what went on tonight- every little detail! You will not leave anything out, because if I find out- and I *_will_* find out- that you lied to me, you'll be sorry!" Bulma emphasized the "you'll be sorry" by screaming it in his ear (which the Saiyan Prince did not appreciate in the least). "As of now, you are already grounded for a month, and will be sleeping on the couch for *_two_*!"

Inwardly, Vegeta groaned. Great, just what he needed right now. "Do not make me increase your already-escalating punishment! Do I make myself clear!?" Vegeta didn't answer. "Do I!?"

"Yes, now shut up already!" he shouted angrily. "If I have to listen to one more of your lectures, I'm going to blow myself up and take the world with me!!" He stomped off in a huff, pushing Gohan out of the way and into the wall (*clinkbang* "Ow!") as he went.

Gohan rubbed his shoulder, realized that wasn't working well because of his armor, and shrugged it off. "That was certainly interesting," he said. Bulma just rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Whee! Do it again, Daddy!" 

"No, Matt, it's my turn!"

"I wanna play, too!"

"Kids, kids! One at a time!" Rienna exclaimed with a laugh. "Aedan only has two arms!"

"Yeah!" Aedan agreed.

"But I wanna be a plane!" the four of them whined.

"Ok, time out!" Aedan said. "Let's not do plane for a while, ok?"

"Awww…!"

"No whining! Be glad you got a chance!" Rienna told them. They all groaned, shuffled into a little circle, and plopped down on the ground, disappointed.

"Now what are we gonna do?" Brandon asked miserably.

"I don't know, Brandon," Autumn said. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know," he answered. He turned to John. "What do you want to do?" John shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. "What do you want to do?"

"Don't know… what do *_you* want to do?"_

"I asked you first!" John exclaimed.

"Nuh uh! I asked *_you* first!" Brian protested._

"Guys, don't fight!" Autumn told them.

"Bang bang! You're dead!"

"Huh?" The four older children turned around and found Devin pointing his gun at Aedan menacingly, a huge grin on his face.

"Oh no! You *_got_* me!" Aedan exclaimed, putting his hand to his chest. He fell to his knees. "Everything's… going black…" With that, he "fainted" on the ground. Rienna snickered over in her chair by the TV. Devin frowned, walked over to Aedan, and prodded him with his gun.

"Uncle Aedan?" he asked uncertainly. "Hey, get up! I didn't really shoot you!" Aedan sat up.

"You didn't?" He felt his chest where the "bullet" had hit. "Huh… guess you're right! I'm alive!" Devin giggled.

"You're silly!"

"I could have told you that, Devin," Rienna said with a smile.

"Hey!" At that moment, Leah and Darrin walked into the room. Devin grinned and jumped out in front of him, gun outstretched.

"Bang bang!" he yelled. Darrin gasped, staggered back a little, and stared at him in shock.

"You… you shot me!" Devin giggled in response, and Darrin sank to his knees. He looked up at Leah, then at Devin. "How… how could you? I had so much left to live for…!" Devin giggled again as Darrin started to sway. "My heart… I can feel it, beating it's last… Everything is fading… the room's growing dark…" He looked up at Leah with a sad expression, and kissed her hand. "Farewell, my love…" With that, he fell to the ground, lifeless. Autumn jumped up in surprise.

"Daddy!!" she cried. She ran over to him. Then she put her hands on her hips and glared at Devin. "Look what you did, Devin!" Leah had to laugh.

"It's okay, Autumn," she told her. "Daddy's not dead. Look!" Autumn looked down at her father. His fingers were twitching slightly.

"Daddy!" Autumn jumped on his back, laughing. Darrin "woke up" with a grunt and craned his neck around to smile at her.

"Hey, kiddo!" She laughed again and wrapped her arms around his neck. Darrin sat up, boosted her higher up on his back, and stood up.

"Piggy back!" Autumn exclaimed happily.

"No fair!" Brandon said, crossing his arms. "I want a piggy back ride!" Before anyone could answer, a soft wailing drifted into the room from upstairs.

"Uh oh," Rienna said. "Somebody's not happy…" Leah groaned.

"I'll be right back," she said. With that, she left. As she did, Trunks walked into the room, yawning. Chloe followed.

"Oh, there you guys are!" Chloe exclaimed. "We've been looking all over!"

"Obviously weren't looking very hard," Rienna said with a smile. "We've been in here for the last half hour."

"Really? But I could have sworn I was just in here…" Trunks laughed.

"Old age, Chloe," he said. "It's getting to you." Chloe frowned.

"Watch it, buddy! I can ground you in a heart-beat!"

"Ground him? From what?" Rienna asked.

"Any number of things," Chloe said matter-of-factly. Trunks frowned.

"Meanie."

"There there, it's ok…" Leah walked into the room, holding Rick, who was now without his cape or helmet. He was sobbing slightly and sniffling.

"Aww, hey there, Rick," Darrin said sympathetically. He rubbed his son's back and smiled at him. "It's ok."

"What happened?" Aedan asked.

"Bad dream," Leah answered. She stroked Rick's black hair and sighed. "It's ok, Rick." Slowly, the little boy calmed down, and he leaned against his mother, more relaxed. "There we go…"

"Has anyone seen Vegeta!?" Bulma stormed into the room, looking very enraged.

"Uh, no," Aedan answered.

"Sorry, Grandma," Rienna said.

"Ooh, that man is pushing it this time!" she exclaimed. Bulma turned on her heel and stormed out. "When I get my hands on him, I'm going to…" Ruben, Jessica, Jeremy, Krystal, Jamie, Alex, and Brian walked in as she walked out.

"Wonder what he did this time," Ruben said thoughtfully.

"*_Besides_* spiking the punch, dear?" Jessica asked with a smile. Ruben sweat-dropped.

"Oh, yeah, that might be it…" he said with a laugh. Rienna sighed. 

"Well, I'm going to go check on Sierra," she said. Krystal nodded.

"I'll come with you." The two girls left, and soon returned with Sierra and Amanda. Aedan and Jamie smiled

"There's my girl!" they said in unison. The two fathers looked at each other and laughed. A sudden scream shattered the mood, and they all snapped to attention.

"Was that Vegeta?" Goku asked. In answer, Vegeta ran into the room in a frenzy. He dove behind the couch and peered over it, his fingers trembling.

"Guess that answers your question, eh, Goku?" Trunks asked with a smirk. Goku nodded.

"Guess so…" He walked over to the couch and looked down at Vegeta curiously. "Gee, Vegeta, what's the matter?"

"Little… green… red… no, blue… hundreds of them… hallway…" Vegeta squeaked softly.

"What are you talking about, Vegeta?" Chi-Chi asked. He lifted a shaky finger and pointed into the hall.

"Demons," he hissed.

"Oh, come now, Vegeta, there's no such thing!" Chloe said. "Especially not in my house!"

"Not anymore, anyway," Trunks said with a smirk in his kids' direction.

"Dad!" Brian and Rienna exclaimed together.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot: they're back." Brian and Rienna growled, and those little anime veins popped up on their foreheads. Trunks just grinned at them- until Chloe hit him in the back of the head. "Ow! Jeez! You're gonna give me brain damage!"

"Too late," Chloe said with a sweet smile. Everyone (excepting Trunks and Vegeta) laughed.

"I'm serious!" Vegeta exclaimed, jumping up from his place behind the couch. "A whole army of them, marching the halls!" Suddenly, he gasped, and disappeared. Somewhere down the hall, Bulma screamed.

"Vegeta, put me down!" With that, both of them were back in the living room. Bulma put her hands on her hips. "Alright, Vegeta, you explain to me what this is all about and you do it *_now*!" Before the Saiyan Prince could answer, a low humming noise came drifting down the hallway. Trunks froze._

"I know that sound…" he whispered. Chloe looked at him curiously as the noise started to grow. Pretty soon, you could even make out the tune. It was a bit on the childish side: a catchy marching song. There was obviously more than one voice, too; about 20 by the sound of it.

"Why does that song sound so familiar?" Goten asked himself.

"Trunks, are you alright?" Chloe asked. "Your face is pale…" Trunks didn't answer.

And then the army invaded.

A small army of tiny dinosaurs marched into the room, singing their little marching song. There were 20 of them exactly- Deho; his wife, Nira; their six children, Sarah, Forest, Lummi, Kao, Mai, and Ice; their spouses (Sal, Acia, Kasu, Reaf, Aila, and Dai respectively); and *_their* children (six altogether). They were all different colors, too._

Deho squealed and ran to Trunks as soon as he laid eyes on him (which was as soon as he entered the room), interrupting the march of the Mini-saurs. Trunks paled even more (if that was possible at this point) and jumped up on the couch, where Deho couldn't reach him. He stuck his tongue out at the little dinosaur and laughed.

"Ha! Can't get me up here!" Deho frowned, put his hands on his hips, and turned around. He whistled to his multi-colored, three-generation family, and they hurried over to him. Trunks watched them curiously as they began to climb on top of each other. Chloe had to laugh- her husband wasn't very bright. In fact, they were about halfway up the couch when he realized what was going on. With a squeak, he jumped off the couch and ran behind Chloe.

"Don't let him get me!" he whined. Deho whimpered in response.

"Aw, Trunks, you hurt his feelings," Chloe said. She crouched down and offered her hand to Deho. "C'mere, little guy!" Deho squeaked with happiness, and ran up onto her hand. To Trunks' horror, Chloe stood up, grinned, and turned around, smirking at him. "So… you mean to tell me that a fifty-year-old Super Saiyan is afraid of *_this*?"_

"You don't understand!" Trunks protested.

"You're right, I don't," Chloe said with a smile. She turned back to Deho and poked his belly, causing the little dinosaur to giggle. "Well *_I_* think he's cute!" she said.

"Of course you do," Trunks said sourly. "He didn't crawl into your bed and attack you when you were four!!"

"He didn't attack you, Trunks," Adrienne said, rolling her eyes. She walked over to Chloe and peered down at Deho with a smile. "Hiya, Deho!" Deho squeaked and hopped onto her hat. Adrienne laughed.

"So this is all of Deho's family…" Bulma said thoughtfully. "I wondered what happened to the cute little things."

"Deho's not a thing, Mom," Adrienne said. Bulma shot her a look.

"You know what I mean, Adrienne." Adrienne rolled her eyes again and sat down on the couch. She smiled down at each of the dinosaurs in turn.

"Hi, guys!" she said cheerfully. "Long time no see!"

"Yeah, it's been a while since we had all of them together," Leah said. She smiled as Lummi (white), Kasu(red), and a little orange one ran over to her. Darrin picked them up and handed them to Leah, since she still had Rick in her arms. "Hi!" she said. She nodded at the little one. "How's little Nemo?" Nemo squeaked and hugged her thumb as well as he could. She laughed.

Rick laughed, too; Nemo was considered his and Autumn's at the house. Kao (black), Reaf (coral), and another baby Mini-saur (navy blue) ran over to Darrin just as Autumn, Matt, Brandon, John, and Devin ran into the room. They had left just before the dinosaurs had arrived to retrieve their candy bags, and had just returned. Autumn gasped.

"Hey, look guys, it's Deho's family!" she told the other four. Darrin smiled, picked up the three at his feet, and handed them to Autumn. She grinned at them. "Hiya!" The three of them squeaked in response. Leah smiled, put Rick on the floor, and laid the dinosaurs down next to him.

"Lunar!" Rick whined. The navy Mini-saur in Autumn's hands jumped down and ran to him. Rick squealed with delight and picked her up. "Lunar!" Lunar nuzzled his cheek and made a content-sounding noise.

"Cute little things," Chi-Chi said.

"Yeah," Goku said. He pouted and crossed his arms. "And you wouldn't let me keep one!" he whined.

"We do not need another pet, Son Goku!" she snapped. "Remember what happened *_last_* time I let you have one?!"

"But he only knocked the shelf off!" Goku protested. "I fixed it, remember?" Chi-Chi gave her husband a look, and he groaned and shut his mouth.

"I don't see Mai," Rienna said. Presently, a little purple dinosaur popped up on her shoulder. "Mai!" Sierra giggled and clapped her hands together with delight. Mai squeaked as another dinosaur (this time red orange in color) popped his head above her shoulder as well. "And Dai, too!" Rienna looked around on the floor. "But where's Sadie?"

An amber baby Mini-saur climbed up on Aedan's hat and peered over the rim at him. Aedan smiled. "I think I found her."

Meanwhile, a light blue, a yellow, and a red Mini-saur had climbed up on the table next to Jamie and were peering at him expectantly. Jamie felt someone tugging on his tail (costume) and turned around. "Huh? What is it, John?" John pointed to the dinosaurs on the table.

"I think they want you to pick them up." Jamie turned around, looked down at the three expectant creatures, and laughed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ice! Didn't see you! C'mere, buddy!" Ice (the light blue one), his wife, Aila (yellow), and their son, Dao (red) jumped up on his stomach, climbed up the synthetic fur, and perched themselves on his shoulder. Krystal walked over to her two boys with a smile, and Amanda laughed and tickled Dao's stomach.

"Bra already left, didn't she?" Adrienne asked suddenly.

"Yeah, why?" Gohan answered.

"Well, they left Sarah, Sal, and Dake," she said, gesturing to a pink, a blue, and a lavender Mini-saur.

"Oh dear," Chi-Chi said.

"No, I thought I heard her say they were staying with you for a while," Videl said.

"Really? Funny, she never told *_me* about it." Adrienne clinched her fists. "She always does that to me!" Pan laughed._

"Must be a sister thing," she said.

"No, it's a dumb-blonde-at-heart thing," Trunks said. Now that Deho was a safe distance away, he had calmed down some.

"You're lucky Eighteen's not around, Trunks," Goten said with a laugh.

"Yeah? What's she gonna do?" Chloe hit him in the back of the head. "Ow! Not again! What'd I do now!?"

"My mother was blonde, thank you!"

"Well, you can be blonde, and not be a *_dumb* blonde," Trunks answered, rubbing the back of his head. He noted that she'd actually hit him harder than usual._

"Yeah," Goten said. "And you can be a dumb blonde without actually being blonde."

"Like Bra," Trunks said.

"Exactly!" Bulma put her hands on her hips.

"You'd better stop talking about your sister behind her back!" she said warningly.

"Alright, alright," Trunks said dully. "Jeez…"

"Well, it's getting kinda late," Gohan said, glancing at the clock on the wall (since he couldn't quite get to his watch…). "I think we'll take our three home." Three Mini-saurs jumped up onto his armor with a ping and started to slide down its slippery surface. "Whoa, there, guys! You'd better stay with Videl." Videl scooped them up and put them on her shoulder. Pan walked over to them and stroked each one gently.

"Bye, guys," she said cheerfully. "Sure do miss you!"

"Bye, Forrest, Acia, Wufoi!" Adrienne called. The green, blue, and teal Mini-saurs squeaked and waved as Gohan and Videl left.

"Bye, Gohan!" Chi-Chi called. "Drive carefully!"

"Mom, you've been telling me that for years, and I have yet to get in a car accident!" Gohan called. The front door opened and shut.

"We should probably get going too," Pan said. "Jason! Josh! Let's go!"

"K, Mom!" Josh called. He and his father walked into the room.

"Bye, everyone!" Pan said. "It was good to see you again!"

"Just wait until the Christmas party!" Chloe said with a laugh.

"Which we are *_not_* hosting," Trunks said. Chloe elbowed him. "Ow! I was kidding! Jeez, if you're not hitting me in the head, you're poking my ribs! Can't a guy get a break once in a while!?"" Pan laughed.

"Well, we'll see," she said. "Thanks for having us over."

"No problem!" Chloe said. Pan turned to her son.

"Got your candy?"

"Check!"

"Coat?"

"Check!"

"Ok, tell everyone good-bye!"

"Mom, I'm 16!" Josh protested. "Give me a break!" He waved to the group in the living room. "Bye, guys!" He grinned at Jeremy. "And you need to practice!"

"Hey, come December, I'll be the best, you'll see!" Jeremy answered.

"You wanna bet?"

"Yeah!"

"How much?"

"Hey, no gambling!" Jason said. "Not with your mother around, anyway." Pan frowned. "Kidding!"

"Ok, let's go!" she said. "Move it!" The three of them filed out. "Bye guys! Take care!"

"You too!" Chloe called.

"We should get going, too," Ruben said. He yawned. "This costume's not very comfortable after a couple hours."

"Yeah, my helmet's scratchy," Jeremy admitted.

"What did I tell you?" Jessica asked. "I warned you, didn't I?" Both her boys groaned.

"Yes, Jessie/Yes, Mom," they answered.

"I guess we'll see you guys later, then," Rienna said.

"See ya, little bro!" Aedan said cheerfully.

"Ya, bye, Aedan!" Jeremy answered.

"Hey, Matt, go say bye to Uncle Remy," Aedan told him. Matt ran to his uncle and hugged him.

"Bye, Uncle Jeremy!" he said.

"See ya, squirt," Jeremy answered. Jeremy gave Rienna a hug, too. "Bye, Sis." Rienna smiled.

"Bye, little brother."

"Ok, ok, that's enough," Ruben said with a laugh. "It's not like you won't see them again in a couple weeks, anyway."

"Oh yeah, Thanksgiving!"

"Oh my goodness, Thanksgiving already?!" Jessica exclaimed. "And then Christmas! Oh dear, what am I going to do!?" Trunks laughed.

"Take it easy, Jess. You've got time left."

"Oh, I hope so…"

"Well, we better leave you guys alone," Ruben said. "See you in November!"

"Yeah, see ya!" The Kinamoras walked out.

"Oh, hey Dad, I have an idea!" Jeremy was saying.

"What?"

"I can drive home!" Jessica laughed.

"Maybe another time."

"Aw, man!" Rienna and Aedan laughed and shook their heads. Rienna yawned and sat down in a chair.

"Well, I guess that leaves just us, then," Jamie said. "Close family only."

"Actually, we all should be leaving, and giving Trunks and Chloe a break!" Alex said.

"Yes!" Trunks said (perhaps a little too eagerly).

"No, no, no!" Chloe protested, giving Trunks an evil look. "It's alright! We're in no rush!"

"Speak for yourself," Trunks muttered.

"I heard that, Trunks!" Trunks rolled his eyes.

"'I heard that, Trunks,'" he repeated. Chloe fought back the urge to hit him really, *_really_* hard.

"Oh, go ahead," Bulma said, as if she could read her daughter-in-law's mind. "He's got it coming." Chloe shook her head.

"No… I have something much more… evil, planned," she said with a grin. Bulma grinned back at her.

"Ah, *_that_* plan," she answered. Chloe nodded, and both woman laughed. It sent chills down even Vegeta's back.

"Trunks?" Goten asked softly.

"Yeah, Goten?"

"…You are *_so_* dead." Brian put his hand on his shoulder.

"Been nice knowing you, Dad," he said with a sigh. Trunks frowned.

"Oh, come *_on_*!" he exclaimed. "What could she *_possibly_* do to me!?" Brian shook his head.

"A non-believer… how sad… my own father…"

"Is there something you know that I don't!?"

"Obviously," Chloe said with a smirk. Trunks shuddered. That look… it was enough to make a grown man cry. He thought over begging for mercy, but quickly dismissed the idea.

"You're just trying to freak me out," he said finally.

"Don't say we didn't warn you," Goku said.

"…Well, with those wonderful closing statements, the Third Annual Z-Halloween Party has come to a close!" Adrienne announced. Everyone groaned.

"Oh, c'mon! It's not that late!"

"So soon?"

"But it's not even midnight yet!"

"Vegeta!"

"What!?"

"Well, we have certain little ones who need to be in bed," Chi-Chi answered. She nodded to the couch, where Krystal and Amanda were sound asleep. In the arm chair next to them, Rienna and Sierra were, too. Both girls were laying on their stomachs with their heads on their mother's shoulder. Their costumes' heads were hanging freely down their backs. Aedan laughed.

"Wow, she must be really tired… she was standing up and laughing a minute ago!"

"Aw, how cute!" Leah said. On the floor at her feet, Rick yawned. "Aw, Rick's sleepy, too!" Rick shook his head groggily.

"No," he said slowly. He yawned again. "Awake." Leah smiled and scooped him up. He laid his head on her shoulder.

"C'mon, you, time for bed," she told him. "Darrin, would you get Autumn?" He nodded.

"Sure." He walked out of the room. "Autumn! C'mon, we're leaving!" Alex yawned.

"We should go, too," she said. She yawned again, and sighed. "Well, c'mon, let's go get the boys." Brian laughed.

"Easier said than done," he answered.

"Well, we'll go ahead and get out of your hair," Goku said.

"That's ok, the only one that's gotten me riled up is Trunks," Chloe answered with a grin. Goku just sighed and shook his head.

"You have my sympathy," Chi-Chi said.

"Me or Trunks?" Chloe asked. Trunks crossed his arms and muttered something under his breath. Goku and Chi-Chi laughed.

"Both," they answered in unison. Chloe laughed.

"Well, thanks. I'm going to need all the sympathy I can get." She hugged them both. "Thanks for coming!"

"You're very welcome," Goku said in his usual happy tone. "See ya next year!"

"Bye!" The couple left. On the couch, Krystal yawned, and her eyes flickered open.

"What time is it?" she asked sleepily.

"10:30," Jamie answered.

"Really? We should probably head home, then…"

"Yeah, I'm going to go get John."

"Oh… alright," she said. Jamie smiled and left the room. Krystal sat up and shifted Amanda so that she was cradled in her mother's arms on her back. She smiled down on her.

" Well, I guess I'll go get Matt, too," Aedan said finally. "No use waking Ri up now, if we're not ready to go."

"Good idea," Bulma said. Aedan smiled and walked out to find his son just as Darrin, Alex, and Brian came back with their children.

"We're good to go," Brian announced.

"Have you got everything?" Chloe asked. Alex nodded.

"Yeah, and if we don't," Brian said with a grin, "we know where you live!"

"Unfortunately," Trunks muttered. He instinctively ducked, and Chloe missed by mere millimeters. Trunks sat back up and spit his tongue out at her. "Ha, missed!" Chloe smacked him across the face. Trunks' hand flew to his cheek. "Owowowowow!" he whined. "That hurt!"

"Serves you right," Chloe said crossly. She tried her best to look cheerful, though inside she had had *_quite* enough of Trunks' antics. "Well, we'll see you later, then," she said. She hugged her son and daughter-in-law. "Drive carefully!"_

"Will do!" Brian answered.

"Especially since *_I* am driving…?" Alex said. Brian groaned._

"Oh, c'mon, Alex! Please? It's Halloween!" Alex sighed.

"Fine."

"Yes!"

"We'll be going, too," Leah said. Darrin nodded.

"Work tomorrow," he answered.

"Oh, alright. Good night!" Chloe said cheerfully.

"Night, Aunt Chloe," Leah answered. "Thanks for inviting us!"

"How could I do otherwise?" Trunks, not wanting another slap in the face, kept his mouth (and his comments) to himself.

"Bye," he said instead.

"See ya, Uncle Trunks!" Leah answered. He waved back.

"See ya at Christmas!"

With that, Leah and Brian's families left together. Jamie came back, holding a very groggy John. Aedan followed, carrying Matt.

"Time to go," Jamie told his wife. She nodded and stood, careful not to wake her sleeping child. "Bye, everyone!" he said cheerfully. "It's been fun!" Krystal waved as she left the room.

"Bye!" she said. Then she turned and walked out the door, allowing her husband to deliver the good-byes.

"Well, we appreciate you hosting this, Aunt Chloe," he said. She smiled and nodded.

"Anytime!" Beside her, Trunks crossed his arms.

"Hmph."

"Well, anyway, I gotta go," Jamie said. "Kids to get in bed, ya know."

"Bye, Jamie!"

"Bye!" Jamie and John left, the boy's bag of candy hanging in his left hand.

Aedan leaned over Rienna and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Hey," he whispered. "Wake up. Time to go."

"Hm?" Rienna's eyes flickered open, and she stared up at him with a smile. "Hey."

"Hi. Listen, it's about 10:30; I figured we'd better go." Rienna took a deep breath and nodded.

"Alright." She stood up, still holding Sierra, and yawned. "Guess I'll just sleep in the car," she added wistfully. Aedan smiled, and turned to the rest of the group.

"Ok, well, I guess we'll be leaving," he said.

"Bye, Daddy," Rienna said sweetly.

"See ya, Ri," he answered. He smiled at her. "Hey Aedan."

"Yeah?"

"Take care of my girls." Aedan smiled.

"Sure thing."

Bulma and Vegeta were the last to leave: Bulma feeling a bit guilty about leaving Chloe to clean up herself (since she *_knew* Trunks wouldn't help), and Vegeta… well, because it wasn't late enough! But Chloe had finally persuaded them to leave, and now the house was empty. It was Trunks… and her. Chloe sighed._

"Well, guess it's over," she said. Trunks sighed.

"Yep."

"Guess we have to clean up," Chloe said. Trunks yawned.

"Guess so," he said. Chloe grinned, and waited for him to notice. "…What?"

"As your punishment…" she started. Trunks groaned. He knew what was coming next. "I want you to pick up every napkin, balloon piece, *_and_* candy wrapper in the entire house!" Trunks groaned again. So *_this_* was what everyone was talking about. "Then I want you to vacuum them all, just in case you miss something. I don't want to see a single crumb on the floor! Every room in this house is to be spotless, do I make myself clear?" Trunks sighed.

"Yes *_ma'am_*," he answered dully.

"Good!" Chloe said happily. Trunks sighed and headed for the kitchen closet, where they kept all their brooms, mops, etc. "Where are you going?"

"To clean up," he answered. "Don't you want me to?"

"Yes," she answered. Chloe sauntered up to him, a seductive glint in her eyes. "But not now," she said. She leaned closer and stared up into his bright, blue eyes. "It's a bit late, don't you think?"

"W-well, well yeah, b-but-" he stuttered.

"Come on, let's go find something fun to do!" Chloe said. Trunks' eyebrows rose as high as they would go.

"You're serious?" Chloe smirked at him.

"Would I lie to you?" she whispered, leaning so close to him that their noses touched. Trunks smiled and leaned a little closer, about to kiss her, when she dodged him, pecked him on the cheek, and ran off up the stairs teasingly. Once at the top, she put her hands on her hips and smirked at him. "You want me," she said, cocking her head at him playfully, "come and get me!" Trunks' face broke into an evil grin.

"If you say so."

. : : THE END : : .

 ( ( Saiyan | Pride – Saiyan | Blood – Saiyan | Power ) )

- DBZ Forever -  
  
  


CREDITS:

Thanks to:

Autumn Nicole: Loving sister and awesome co-write, wonderful idea vault… Not to mention the UNDYING *couchhackcough* support. Where would I be without you!?

Akira Toriyama: For making DBZ. Dude. You. ROCK. *grin*

Chibi: For adding me to your favorites! That really cheered me up, ya know! Made me feel appreciated! (Gee… I wish OTHER PEOPLE WOULD DO THAT… *hint hint*) Thanks for the support!

Princess of all Vegetables: Girl, you rock! Thanks for all the reviews! I love you lots!! *grins* BTW… Not only were there lots of 'em, but those reviews… were… how shall I say it… INTERESTING. XD Thanks for the laughs! Those really made my day.

Fanfiction.Net: For letting me post this. Sure, you crash, and won't let me log-in, or won't let me review, or something equally STUPID because the site is "busy," but I keep coming back, don't I? Well?! *ahem* Right. Well… anyway… Thanks! ^_^ Couldn't do it without ya!

My parents: For putting up with me all this time. Thanks a lot! (Don't worry, I'll be out of the house in a few more years… heheh…)

God: For… EVERYTHING!! ^______^ Even my next breath is a gift from You.

Chrono Cross: For blessing me with this SONG IN MY HEAD!!! AAAAAAHHHH!!!! 

Me: For not ditching it even when I didn't feel like writing. Thanks, Me!  
(ME): You're welcome. *voice echoes*

*blink blinkblink*………Dude, how weird is that?

And thanks for anyone deserving of thanks that I did not mention because I either forgot your name, never knew it in the first place, or don't know you at all!! Ha ha! You're not forgotten for lack of love, but rather… lack of brain capacity. XD

THANK YOU AND GOOD *_NIGHT_*!!

Erelyn Tsunami

Closing Comments:

Oh. My. GOSH. It's... it's finished. Syndrome... It's finally over... ........Now that it comes to it... WHAT AM I GONNA DO NOW?!?! *cries*  I have nothing left!! No more Syndrome! NO MORE!! Do you HEAR ME?! WHAT AM I GONNA DO?!

Rienna: Aw, c'mon, it's not that bad. You can always write that Chloe/Trunks fic.

Trunks: WHAT?!

Chloe: *laughs*

....*sniff* I guess I could... *sniffsniff*

Rienna: Or that one about the Dragonballs! You know where they- oh, wait, can't give that away, can I?

No, you can't.

Rienna: Rats.

Well... It's been fun, anyway. No matter what I do now.

Rienna: We're gonna miss you! *sniff*

*Both burst into tears and hug*

Trunks: Women.

Chloe: *glare* *smacks him- HARD*

Trunks: OW! _'


End file.
